Phenothiazine-induced hyponatremia in the elderly.
The syndrome of severe hyponatremia associated with neurological deficits is especially ominous in an elderly population. During a heat spell in summer, 2 elderly patients from a nursing home who were chronically taking phenothiazines were admitted with neurological symptoms due to hyponatremia. We sought the prevalence of hyponatremia in this chronic care facility. Those patients on phenothiazines had a significantly lower level of serum sodium than the remaining nursing home residents. Those patients on phenothiazines may be at increased risk to develop hyponatremia when they are subjected to further fluid-retaining stresses.
D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
D010640:Phenothiazines; D012964:Sodium