Sodium 2
Sodium 2 : Essential mineral that our bodies regulate and conserve. Excess sodium retention increases the fluid volume (edema) and low sodium leads to less fluid and relative dehydration. The adult body averages a total content of over 100 grams of sodium, of which one-third is in bone. A small amount of sodium does get into cell interiors, but this represents only about 10% of the body content. The remaining 57 % or so of the body sodium content is in the fluid immediately surrounding the cells, where it is the major cation (positive ion). The role of sodium in the extracellular fluid is maintaining osmotic equilibrium (the proper difference in ions dissolved in the fluids inside and outside the cell) and extracellular fluid volume. Also involved in nerve impulse transmission, muscle tone and nutrient transport. Interelated to potassim. Increase in serum sodium is seen in conditions with water loss in excess of salt loss, as in profuse sweating, severe diarrhea or vomiting, polyuria (as in diabetes mellitus or insipidus), hypergluco- ormineralocorticoidism, and inadequate water intake. Drugs causing elevated sodium include steroids with mineral ocorticoid activity, carbenoxolone, diazoxide, guanethidine, licorice, methyldopa, oxyphenbutazone, sodium bicarbonate, methoxyflurane, and reserpine. Decrease in sodium is seen in states characterized by intake of freewater or hypotonic solutions, as may occur in fluid replacement following sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, and diuretic abuse. Dilutional hyponatremia may occur in cardiac failure, liver failure, nephrotic syndrome, malnutrition, and SIADH. There are many other causes of hyponatremia, mostly related to corticosteroid metabolic defects or renal tubular abnormalities. Drugs other than diuretics may cause hyponatremia, including ammonium chloride, chlorpropamide, heparin, amino glutethimide, vasopressin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine
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