Serum sodium

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Blood test

Overview

Risks

Results

Serum sodium

Alternative Names:

Sodium - serum; Na+
What the risks are:

Possible risks from any blood test include:

Excessive bleeding
Fainting or feeling light-headed
Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Multiple punctures to locate veins

Special considerations:

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The following factors can interfere with the test:

Recent trauma, surgery, or shock
Consuming large or small amounts of salt or fluid
Intravenous fluids containing sodium
Diuretics or certain other medications

Drugs that can increase sodium measurements include anabolic steroids, antibiotics, clonidine, corticosteroids, cough medications, laxatives, methyldopa, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and birth control pills.

Drugs that can reduce sodium measurements include carbamazepine, diuretics, sulfonylureas, triamterene, and vasopressin.

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.