title: Avoid adding insult to injury - correct management of sick female endurance athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of Ringer's lactate, isotonic saline and hypertonic saline on the clinical and biochemical recovery of athletes with exercise-associated hyponatraemic encephalopathy caused by fluid overload.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed serial blood sodium concentrations (Na+) and qualitative signs of recovery and time to recovery in two healthy menstruant females hospitalised with dilutional exercise-associated hyponatraemic encephalopathy after withdrawal from the 2011 Comrades Marathon (89 km) and Argus Cycle Tour (109 km).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvements in blood Na+ did not occur with intravenous administration of Ringer's lactate solution, but did occur with administration of isotonic and hypertonic saline. Qualitative improvements in mental status were not quantitatively related to the biochemical value of blood Na+ or subsequent return to normonatraemia. CONCLUSIONS; Hyponatraemia should be suspected in all female athletes presenting to the medical area of endurance races with vomiting, altered mental status and a history of high fluid intake. If a diagnosis of exercise-associated hyponatraemia with cerebral encephalopathy is confirmed, the treatment of choice is administration of an intravenous bolus of hypertonic saline. Administration of Ringer's lactate should be discouraged, as this does not correct Na+ and appears to delay recovery.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Science, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA, USA. hew@oakland.edu
authors.forename: Tamara Dawn
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Hew-Butler
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boulter
authors.forename: Rehana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhorat
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Noakes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D001928:Brain Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007552:Isotonic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077325:Ringer's Lactate; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D000077325:Ringer's Lactate; D012964:Sodium