Topic 15: Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is characterised by increased water retention and sodium loss. SIADH can lead to severe hyponatremia which may result in serious and life threatening consequences including seizure, coma and respiratory arrest if not corrected.

In this rapid learning you will learn how to:

• recognise the signs and symptoms of SIADH
• assess the severity
• initiate the right interventions and escalate care appropriately

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Module

Additional resources

You can use the following resources in the workplace to assist you in caring for patients.

Save a copy of these resources so you can refer back to them in the workplace.

• SIADH summary sheet
• SIADH signs and symptoms
• SIADH assessment and immediate interventions
• ESMO Handbook of Oncological Emergencies
• Cancer Care Nova Scotia (2014). Guidelines for the Management of Oncologic Emergencies in Adult Patients – Full Version.
• Flounders JA (2003) Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone. Oncology nursing forum. 30 (3): E64-70

Patient information

• Canadian Cancer society. Cancer information- Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone

References: 

1. Kosmidis, P.A., Schrijvers, D., Andre, F. and Rottey, S. eds., 2005. ESMO Handbook of oncological emergencies. CRC Press.
2. Flounders, J.A., 2007, February. Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone. In Oncology nursing forum (Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. E63-E70). Oncology Nursing Society.
3. Pillai, B.P., Unnikrishnan, A.G. and Pavithran, P.V., 2011. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion: Revisiting a classical endocrine disorder. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism, 15(Suppl3), p.S208.
4. Cancer Care Nova Scotia (2014). Guidelines for the Management of Oncologic Emergencies in Adult Patients – Full version. Province of Nova Scotia.
5. Lewis, M.A., Hendrickson, A.W. and Moynihan, T.J., 2011. Oncologic emergencies: pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 61(5), pp.287-314.
6. Peri, A., Pirozzi, N., Parenti, G., Festuccia, F. and Menè, P., 2010. Hyponatremia and the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Journal of endocrinological investigation, 33(9), pp.671-682.
7. Castillo, J.J., Vincent, M. and Justice, E., 2012. Diagnosis and management of hyponatremia in cancer patients. The oncologist, 17(6), p.756.
8. Tee, K. and Dang, J., 2017. The suspect-SIADH. Australian family physician, 46(9), p.677.