A patient presents with Addison disease. Serum sodium and potassium analyses are performed. What would the results reveal?

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Study for the Ciulla Clinical Chemistry Test. Enhance your knowledge with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Prepare for the exam with comprehensive study materials and detailed explanations for each question.

Multiple Choice

A patient presents with Addison disease. Serum sodium and potassium analyses are performed. What would the results reveal?

Explanation:
When adrenal cortex function is lost in Addison disease, aldosterone production falls. Aldosterone normally signals the kidneys to reabsorb sodium and excrete potassium. With its deficiency, you lose sodium in the urine (and along with it water), producing hyponatremia and volume depletion, while potassium is not excreted efficiently and builds up in the blood, causing hyperkalemia. So the expected serum pattern is low sodium with high potassium.

When adrenal cortex function is lost in Addison disease, aldosterone production falls. Aldosterone normally signals the kidneys to reabsorb sodium and excrete potassium. With its deficiency, you lose sodium in the urine (and along with it water), producing hyponatremia and volume depletion, while potassium is not excreted efficiently and builds up in the blood, causing hyperkalemia. So the expected serum pattern is low sodium with high potassium.

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