Hyponatremia the underlying cause of hyponatremia. A blood test demonstrating a serum sodium less than 135 mmol/L is diagnostic for hyponatremia. The history and physical exam are necessary to help determine if the patient is hypovolemic, euvolemic, or hypervolemic, which has important implications in determining the underlying cause. An assessment is also made to determine if the patient is experiencing symptoms from their hyponatremia. These include assessments of alertness, concentration, and orientation. False hyponatremia, also known as spurious, pseudo, hypertonic, or artifactual hyponatremia is when the lab tests read low sodium levels but there is no hypotonicity. In hypertonic hyponatremia, resorption
Human serum albumin trauma, burns and surgery patients. A Cochrane systematic review of 37 trials found no evidence that albumin, compared with cheaper alternatives such as saline, reduces the risk of dying. Human serum albumin has been used as a component of a frailty index. It has not been shown to give better results than other fluids when used simply to replace volume, but is frequently used in conditions where loss of albumin is a major problem, such as liver disease with ascites. Human serum albumin may be used to potentially reverse drug/chemical toxicity by binding to free drug/agent. (Tatlow, D, Poothencheri, S,