Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) Practice Exam

Which of the following is a characteristic of hypervolemic hyponatraemia?

1. Fluid overload

2. Severe dehydration

3. Excessive sweating

4. Normal blood pressure

The correct answer is: Fluid overload

Hypervolemic hyponatraemia is characterized by an increase in total body water relative to total body sodium. In this condition, fluid overload leads to dilution of sodium levels in the body, resulting in hyponatraemia. Conditions that often result in hypervolemic hyponatraemia include heart failure, kidney disease, and liver cirrhosis, all of which typically lead to excess fluid retention. Fluid overload is fundamentally linked to the pathophysiology of hypervolemic hyponatraemia, as the excess fluid dilutes serum sodium levels. This is a key feature that distinguishes hypervolemic hyponatraemia from other types of hyponatraemia, such as hypovolemic or euvolemic hyponatraemia. The other options are not characteristic of hypervolemic hyponatraemia. Severe dehydration, for example, would indicate a deficit in body fluid levels, while excessive sweating is associated with fluid loss and tends toward hypovolemic hyponatraemia rather than hypervolemic. Normal blood pressure could also be misleading because hypervolemic hyponatraemia can occur alongside increased or decreased blood pressure, depending on the underlying condition contributing to fluid retention. Hence, fluid overload