Isotonic or hypertonic saline infusion must be used with extreme caution to treat hyponatraemia and should be reserved for emergency situations such as associated fits, stupor, or marked confusion. Great care should be taken to avoid rapid correction of hyponatraemia, irrespective of the manner of treatment, or central pontine myelinolysis (osmotic demyelination syndrome) may ensue. The rate of increase in plasma sodium should not exceed 0.5mmol/l/h (12mmol/l/24h).
