Beer potomania
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Editor-in-Chief: Suresh Samson, M.D., Yale Bridgeport Hospital
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Overview
This is a syndrome of binge drinking, poor nutritional intake, and profound hyponatremia.
Pathophysiology & Etiology
Hyponatremia is due to a large consumption of beer (which has a poor salt content) together with a minimal intake of ordinary food. A diet poor in salt and protein compounds (i.e. urea precursors) results in reduced excretion of urinary solutes, which limits the ability to excrete free water
References
http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/35/6/612
Differential Diagnosis
See the differential of hyponatremia
Electrolyte and Biomarker Studies
A value of Uosm < 100 mOsm/kg is indicative of a complete and appropriate suppression of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion, a finding seen with either primary polydipsia (including ‘beer potomania’) or reset osmostat. Criteria used to diagnose the ‘beer potomania’ syndrome include
- A history of binge beer drinking
- Poor dietary intake
- Decreased serum sodium levels
- Absence of other known causes of hyponatremia
Acknowledgements
The content on this page was first contributed by: Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]