Correction of profound hyponatraemia following rapid bolus therapy: effectiveness of the Barsoum-Levine formula based on the Edelman equation.

Abstract

Background: The optimal treatment for profound hyponatraemia remains uncertain. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that a standardized bolus of hypertonic saline is effective, but relying solely on this approach may not fully address the individual variability of hyponatraemia among patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of rapid bolus (RB) administration of hypertonic saline followed by predictive correction (PC) using an infusate and fluid loss formula identical to the Barsoum-Levine formula based on the Edelman equation (RB-PC) for managing profound hyponatraemia.

Methods: In this retrospective observational cohort study, we evaluated 276 patients aged >18 years with s[Na] levels ≤120 mEq/L (January 2014-December 2023). Using propensity score matching (PSM), we assessed s[Na] elevations at 6 h post-treatment initiation and the rate of appropriate hyponatraemia correction between the RB-PC and PC groups. We defined the appropriate correction as a change in s[Na] in the range of 4-10 mEq/L within the first 24 h and ≤18 mEq/L within the first 48 h following corrective treatment initiation.

Results: Among 276 patients with profound hyponatraemia (s[Na] ≤120 mEq/L), 49 and 108 underwent treatment with RB-PC therapy and with PC therapy without RB, respectively. Post-PSM, 84 patients were selected and allocated to the RB-PC (n = 42) or PC group (n = 42). In PSM analysis, patients with RB-PC experienced a higher elevation in s[Na] at 6 h after treatment initiation than PC (4.0 vs 2.4 mEq/L, P < 0.001). The rate of appropriate correction was similar between the RB-PC and PC groups (90.5% vs 90.5%, P = 1).

Conclusions: RB-PC can quickly elevate s[Na] levels and achieve appropriate correction of s[Na] in patients with profound hyponatraemia.