Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Rare Complication of Ultrasound Scanning

SUTTON PA et al in British Journal of Radiology (2007) 80, 1024
doi: 10.1259/bjr/98506488
Report a very interesting complication of a patient who developed acute confusional stae post ultrasound. The investigations sent by them all returned normal, with the exception of a venous sodium measurement of 119 mmol L–1. On further questioning, the patient's husband revealed that she had been told to "drink as much as she could" prior to the ultrasound scan, and had therefore consumed several litres of water over the course of the afternoon. The confusion settled with fluid restriction, and venous sodium normalized over the next few hours.
ooops......

Again highlights the importance of good communication between medical staff and patients.

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