Uraemia as a determinant of convulsions in acute infantile hypernatraemia

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Abstract
In a group of 57 infants with acute illness and hypernatraemia (sodium 150 mEq/l. or over), convulsions occurred early in therapy in 17. Other common causes of convulsions had been eliminated as far as possible. The incidence of convulsions was related to the degree of uraemia and acidaemia present on admission and not related to the sodium concentration. It is concluded that hypernatraemia, within the range studied, is not an important cause of infantile seizures unless other factors are operating. Elucidation of these other factors may be more profitable than study of the osmotic properties of the body fluids.