Sodium Disturbances

How to Cite This Chapter: Srivaratharajah K, Merali Z, Panju M, Mathew A, Kokot F, Franek E, Drabczyk R. Sodium Disturbances. McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna. https://empendium.com/mcmtextbook/chapter/B31.II.19.1.3. Accessed November 03, 2024.
Last Updated: December 15, 2021
Last Reviewed: September 8, 2024
Chapter Information

Physiologic BackgroundTop

The body of an average adult weighing 70 kg contains ~4200 mmol (~60 mmol/kg) of sodium. A total of 91% of the body sodium is in the extracellular fluid (ECF) and the remainder is the intracellular fluid (ICF).

Dietary sodium intake is 80 to 160 mmol/d. In individuals with a normal sodium balance, 95% of dietary sodium is filtered into the renal tubule, 4.5% with feces, and 0.5% through the skin. Less than 1% of sodium filtered into the renal tubule is excreted with urine, while the remaining sodium is reabsorbed.

We would love to hear from you

Comments, mistakes, suggestions?

We use cookies to ensure you get the best browsing experience on our website. Refer to our Cookies Information and Privacy Policy for more details.