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HOME > Kosin Med J > Volume 27(2); 2012 > Article
Case Report
Acute Severe Hyponatremia with Seizure Following Polyethylene Glycol-Based Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy
Myung Hee Lee, Byung Hee Lee, Sook Kyung Oh, Ji Young Seo, Hyun Ju Kim, Bo Jung Seo
Kosin Medical Journal 2012;27(2):173-176.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.2012.27.2.173
Published online: December 27, 2012

Department of Internal Medicine, Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital, Busan, Korea.

Corresponding Author: Hyun Ju Kim, Department of Internal Medicine, Wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital, 374-75, Namsan-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, 609-728, Korea. TEL: +82-51-580-2000, FAX: +82-51-580-1048, lotlot98@naver.com
• Received: May 14, 2012   • Revised: June 29, 2012   • Accepted: July 19, 2012

Copyright © 2012 Kosin University College of Medicine

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  • 4 liters of polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution is commonly used to evacuate the colon before colonoscopy. This substance, however, is known to cause electrolyte abnormalities such as hyponatremia. Seizures caused by hyponatremia associated with bowel preparation have only rarely been reported. We report the case that a 75-year-old woman with no prior history of seizures was developed severe hyponatremia (112 mEq/L) with generalized tonic-clonic seizure and mental change after ingestion of 4L of PEG solution. Past medical history was notable for thiazide diuretics. Her symptoms are improved during intravenous administration of hypertonic saline for the correction of hyponatremia. Patients with impaired ability to excrete free water those with renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, mineralocorticoid deficiency, liver cirrhosis, or heart failure as well as those taking drugs which including thiazide diuretics, NASIDs, and ACE inhibitors have risk of hyponatremia following bowel preparation for colonoscopy. We conclude that physicians should check patient's condition and electrolyte abnormalities before colonoscopy procedures.
  • Keywords: Colonoscopy; Hyponatremia; Polyethylene glycol; Seizure
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    • Bowel preparation for colonoscopy in special populations: a practical and risk-stratified approach
      Myung-Hun Lee, Won Moon, Kyoungwon Jung, Jae Hyun Kim, Sung Eun Kim, Moo In Park, Seun Ja Park
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    • Kolonoskopi Hazırlığında Su İntoksikasyonu ve Hiponatremi Kaynaklı Epileptik Atak Vaka Serileri İncelemesi: Hemşirelik Bakımı ve Yönetiminde Kritik Noktalar
      Sevgisun Kapucu
      Türk Hemşireler Derneği Dergisi.2026; 7(1): 69.     CrossRef
    • Severe hyponatremia and seizures after bowel preparation with low-volume polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid solution
      Jae Young Lee, Byung Ik Jang, Yoon Jeong Nam, Jay Song, Min Cheol Kim, Seung Min Chung, Jong Geol Jang, Jae Ho Cho
      Yeungnam University Journal of Medicine.2015; 32(1): 55.     CrossRef

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      Acute Severe Hyponatremia with Seizure Following Polyethylene Glycol-Based Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy
      Kosin Med J. 2012;27(2):173-176.   Published online December 27, 2012
      DOI: https://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.2012.27.2.173
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    Acute Severe Hyponatremia with Seizure Following Polyethylene Glycol-Based Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy
    Acute Severe Hyponatremia with Seizure Following Polyethylene Glycol-Based Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy
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