Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration in the treatment of acute severe hyponatremia: A report of 11 cases

Objectives: To evaluate the treatment effect of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) in patients with acute severe hyponatremia. Methods: Eleven patients with severe acute hyponatremia, including 6 males and 5 females, aged 25-61 years (mean age 48.36), were treated with CVVH. Hyponatremia occurred 38-48 hours prior to the initiation of CVVH. Results: All patients tolerated CVVH well, with an average treatment duration of 57.19 (45.6-86) hours. During CVVH, the serum sodium concentration increased significantly from 100.9 +/- 3.99 mmol/L at initiation of CVVH to 140.3 +/- 1.6 mmol/L after 48 hours of treatment (P < 0.01). The serum osmolarity increased concurrently, from 216.7 +/- 7.4 mOsm/kgH(2)O to 295.0 +/- 4.2 mOsm/kgH(2)O (P < 0.01). The Glasgow scores and APACHE II scores in these patients improved significantly during treatment. Conclusions: CVVH is a safe and effective option for the treatment of patients with severe acute hyponatremia due to its slow and continuous nature.