1. Neuromuscular
irritability with twitches, hyperreflexia, seizures, coma, and death result
from cellular dehydration.
2. Brain
shrinkage induced by hypernatraemia can cause vascular rupture with cerebral
bleeding, subarachnoid haemorrhage, permanent brain damage and death.
Patient
with hypernatraemia generally have reduced cerebral function, either as a
primary problem or as a consequence of the hypernatraemia itself, which results
in dehydration of cerebral neurons and brain shrinkage. In the presence of an
intact thirst mechanism and preserved capacity to obtain water hypernatraemia
may not progress very far as water intake proceeds. Where adequate water is not
obtained bradycardia, dizziness, confusion, weakness and ultimately coma and
death can result.
