title: Red blood cell intracellular electrolyte concentration in children with acute hyponatremia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between intra- and extracellular red blood cell (RBC) sodium and potassium concentration in children with acute hyponatremia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care university-affiliated community hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma and RBC sodium and potassium concentrations were measured in nine consecutive children with acute hyponatremia (sodium <136) (hyponatremic group) and compared to those in nine healthy children with normal plasma sodium levels (control group). Measurements were taken on admission and after 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours by means of an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An inverse correlation was found between RBC intracellular sodium concentration and plasma levels in the acute hyponatremic group (p < 0.016, r = -0.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma levels of sodium may not accurately reflect intracellular concentration in the assessment of acute hyponatremia in children. Further studies on the relationship between acute hyponatremia and red blood cell sodium concentration are warranted.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Anesthesiology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben-Abraham
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Szold
authors.forename: Shefi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menachem
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lotan
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Barzilay
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paret
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium