Dehydration, Hypernatremia, and Hyponatremia.

Disturbances of serum sodium are one of the most common findings in older persons. They are also a major cause of hospital admissions and delirium and are associated with frailty, falls, and hip fractures. Both hypernatremia and hyponatremia are potentially preventable. Treatment involves treating the underlying cause and restoring sodium and volume status to normal. The arginine vasopressin antagonists, vaptans, have increased the therapeutic armamentarium available to physicians.