Sodium Correction Rate Calculator
Estimates IV fluid type, rate, and volume for planned sodium correction in adult hyponatraemia or hypernatraemia using the Adrogué–Madias equation. This is a teaching and decision-support tool only; electrolyte emergencies require clinician review and frequent serum sodium monitoring.
Patient and clinical inputs
Usually an initial partial target, not full normalisation.
Used to check safety and calculate a rate.
Infusate
Results
Enter values and click Calculate.
Fluid comparison table
Estimated effect of 1 L of common fluids using the same patient inputs. Negative values lower serum sodium; positive values raise serum sodium.
Formula and clinical notes
Adrogué–Madias estimate:
Change in serum Na⁺ per 1 L = ((infusate Na⁺ + infusate K⁺) − serum Na⁺) / (TBW + 1)
TBW = weight × TBW factor
- This formula estimates the effect of 1 litre in a simplified closed system. It does not account for ongoing urine, gastrointestinal, insensible, or sodium/potassium losses.
- Use repeated sodium checks and reassess therapy frequently. In actively correcting patients, checks every 2–4 hours are commonly used in practice, with local protocol and senior review.
- For severe symptomatic hyponatraemia, many protocols use hypertonic saline boluses to achieve a small early rise, then stop or slow correction.
- For hypovolaemic hypernatraemia with shock or severe volume depletion, restore intravascular volume first with isotonic crystalloid, then correct free-water deficit with hypotonic fluid.
References
- Spasovski G, Vanholder R, Allolio B, et al. Clinical practice guideline on diagnosis and treatment of hyponatraemia. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2014.
- Verbalis JG, Goldsmith SR, Greenberg A, et al. Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hyponatremia: expert panel recommendations. American Journal of Medicine. 2013.
- Sterns RH. Treatment Guidelines for Hyponatremia: Stay the Course. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2024.
- Adrogué HJ, Madias NE. Aiding fluid prescription for the dysnatremias. Intensive Care Medicine. 1997.
- Yun G, Kim S. Evaluation and management of hypernatremia in adults: clinical perspectives. Electrolyte & Blood Pressure. 2022.
- Sonani B, Naganathan S, Al-Dhahir MA. Hypernatremia. StatPearls/NCBI Bookshelf. Updated 2023.
