PURPOSE: There are no controlled experimental data that assess the accuracy of the
commonly used correction factor of a 1.6 meq/L decrease in serum sodium concentration for
every 100 mg/dL increase in plasma glucose concentration. The purpose of this study was to
evaluate experimentally the hyponatremic response to acute hyperglycemia. SUBJECTS
AND METHODS: Somatostatin was infused to block endogenous insulin secretion in 6
healthy subjects. Plasma glucose concentrations were increased to> 600 mg/dL within 1 …

A 29-year-old woman with chronic sinusitis and anosmia entered a kitchen in which there
had been a major gas leak. Not perceiving the distinct smell, she lit a match. In the resulting
explosion, her face, chest, and abdomen were seriously burned. During the next 7 months
she was hospitalized several times, including an admission for acute respiratory distress that
necessitated mechanical ventilation and critical care management. She had recurrent
pneumonias, pneumothoraces, and diffuse atelectasis resulting in chronic lung disease. She …