title: Clinical implications of treating depressed older adults with SSRIs: possible risk of hyponatremia.
abstract: Depression is a serious mental health problem in older adults. Some of the symptoms of depression include depressed mood, significant change in weight or appetite, changes in sleep patterns, a decrease in concentration and energy, and possible suicide. However, depression is a treatable illness, especially with the newer class of antidepressant agents, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). One side effect of SSRI use includes hyponatremia, which is becoming an increasingly serious complication that may have harmful clinical ramifications. Older adults are especially at risk for hyponatremia and could experience serious consequences if left untreated. The purpose of this article is to use an individual example to demonstrate the clinical importance of detecting hyponatremia in older adults receiving SSRI treatment.
authors.affiliation: Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes-Jewish College, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. jms0159@bjc.org
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015994:Incidence; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors