Authors: Benjamin L Metzger Maria V DeVita Michael F Michelis
Publish Date: 2008/03/25
Volume: 40, Issue: 3, Pages: 725-730
Abstract
The treatment of hyponatremia especially euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia has changed with the development of drugs which function as vasopressin receptor antagonists These agents increase solutefree water excretion by the kidney resulting in an aquaresis Conivaptan a vasopressin receptor antagonist has recently been approved by the FDA in the United States for use in the therapy of both euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia This report summarizes one center’s experience with ten patients treated with this new drug The patients had euvolemic hyponatremia with serum sodium levels less than 128 mEq/l The same protocol was used in all patients with the conivaptan being given as a 20mg intravenous loading dose followed by a 20mg continuous 24h infusion Review of the data revealed that six of the ten patients had an excellent response to the therapy with serum sodium increasing by a mean of 85 ± 08 mEq/l increases ranged from 7 to 12 mEq/l over 24 h No significant changes in serum potassium levels or mean arterial pressures were noted Two of the ten patients experienced a decrease in urine osmolality without a significant increase in serum sodium Two other patients had only slight decreases in urine osmolality and no significant increase in serum sodium levels The data reveal that conivaptan is useful in the management of significant hyponatremia There were no significant untoward effects with the exception of one patient whose blood pressure decreased during the conivaptan infusion and who responded to cessation of the infusion and saline replacement therapy This new class of drugs holds great promise for the treatment of dilutional hyponatremic disorders
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