A prospective study to compare the clinical efficacy of Tolvaptan with 3% hypertonic saline solution in hospitalized patients having hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities in hospitalized patients. The treatment of hyponatremia is controversial as rapid correction of serum sodium can give rise to neurologic disorder and at the same time if not corrected timely, it can lead to brain damage. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Tolvaptan with 3% hypertonic saline solution for the management of hyponatremia in hospitalized patients.

In this prospective observational study, data of 60 hospitalized patients having hyponatremia from February 2013 to July 2013 were collected and analyzed. Patients either received oral Tolvaptan or intravenous infusion of 3% hypertonic saline solution. The serum sodium concentration before administration of treatment and 24 h and 48 h after the administration of the drugs were recorded and analyzed. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Software, by Student’s paired t‑test and one‑way analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

Tolvaptan and 3% hypertonic saline solution had significant effects in raising serum sodium level in hyponatremic patients at both 24 h and 48 h (P < 0.0001). This increase was about 8.030 ± 0.6507 mEq/L and 12.33 ± 0.6489 mEq/L for 3% hypertonic saline and about 5.111 ± 0.6616 mEq/L and 10.11 ± 0.6230 mEq/L for Tolvaptan, after 24 h and 48 h, respectively.

Both drugs had significant effects in raising serum sodium level in hyponatremic patients; however administration of 3% hypertonic saline solution had a slightly superior efficacy in raising the serum sodium concentration at both 24 h and 48 h periods in Hyponatremic patients compared with oral Tolvaptan