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ICU TopicsEndocrine & metabolic emergencies

ICU · Endocrine & metabolic emergencies

SIADH & Diabetes Insipidus

Also known as Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone · SIADH · Diabetes insipidus · Central diabetes insipidus · Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus · Desmopressin · DDAVP · Osmotic demyelination

The two ends of the ADH (the vasopressin) the dysfunction — the SIADH (the excess the ADH → the water the retention → the euvolaemic the hyponatraemia) and the diabetes the insipidus (the ADH the deficiency [the central] or the resistance [the nephrogenic] → the water the loss → the hypernatraemia). The SIADH: the fluid the restriction, the hypertonic the saline (the cautious — the osmotic the demyelination), the vaptans. The DI: the desmopressin (the central), the treat the cause + the thiazide (the nephrogenic).

high36 referencesUpdated 17 Aug 202631 min readSource-verified · Sept 2026

Checked against its sources on 2 Sept 2026

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Overview & definition

The two ends of the ADH axis — SIADH (excess vasopressin → water retention → euvolaemic hyponatraemia) and diabetes insipidus (ADH deficiency or resistance → water loss → hypernatraemia). Two opposite water-balance disorders, both common in ICU, both oriented in seconds by reading urine osmolality against serum sodium.[1][36]

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