Atrial natriuretic factor: is it responsible for hyponatremia and natriuresis in neurosurgery?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the presence of hyponatremia and natriuresis and their association with atrial natriuretic factor in neurosurgery patients. METHODS The study included 30 patients who had been submitted to intracranial tumor resection and cerebral aneurism clipping. Both plasma and urinary sodium and plasma atrial natriuretic factor were measured during the preoperative and postoperative time periods. RESULTS Hyponatremia was present in 63.33% of the patients, particularly on the first postoperative day. Natriuresis was present in 93.33% of the patients, particularly on the second postoperative day. Plasma atrial natriuretic factor was increased in 92.60% of the patients in at least one of the postoperative days; however, there was no statistically significant association between the atrial natriuretic factor and plasma sodium and between the atrial natriuretic factor and urinary sodium. CONCLUSION Hyponatremia and natriuresis were present in most patients after neurosurgery; however, the atrial natriuretic factor cannot be considered to be directly responsible for these alterations in neurosurgery patients. Other natriuretic factors are likely to be involved.