Hypernatremia Complicating Partial Urinary-Tract Obstruction

Abstract

IT is well known that the ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine is impaired by obstruction of the urinary tract.^{1 2 3} Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus^{4 5 6 7} has been shown to occur both with partial Urinary Tract obstruction and in the course of postobstructive diuresis after relief of complete urinary-tract obstruction. That severe hypernatremia and hyperosmolar dehydration may occur in certain patients with partial urinary-tract obstruction, however, is not generally appreciated. Thus, a recent review of hypernatremia⁸ and two standard textbook chapters^{9 , 10} on obstructive uropathy do not describe this phenomenon. The course of two illustrative patients seen over the past five years with . . .