Sodium

Disorders of serum sodium are both the most common and probably most the poorly understood electrolyte disorders in clinical medicine. In the past few years increased knowledge about the non-osmotic release of vasopressin and the cloning of vasopressin receptors and of vasopressin-regulated water channels (AQP2) has enhanced our understanding of these disorders. Also controversies surrounding the treatment of hyponatraemic patients have led to well-accepted therapeutic guidelines.