NCLEX Questions

Manifestations &
Complications
Some common signs and
symptoms of beer potomania
include the following:

1. What's the mortality for

patients with alcoholism who
present to the hospital with
serum sodium levels less than
125 mEq/L?

Muscle cramping

Profuse diaphoresis

Cerebral edema

b. 30%

Peripheral edema & third

spacing

c. 40%

Uncontrolled tremors

d. greater than 50%

Changes in mental status

Gail disturbances

Nausea and vomiting

Generalized weakness

Seizures

Coma

If this disease progressed,

morbidity and mortality could
occur.

Lifespan & Cultural

Considerations

Beer potomania specifically attacks

alcoholics. Risk factors for
alcoholism include age, gender,
depression/mental problems, family
history, and social/cultural factors.
People who begin drinking at a
younger age and have a close
relative or friend with a drinking
problem tend to drink more. People
with mental disorders, such as
depression and anxiety, tend to
solve problems with alcohol. Beer
potomania mortality is greater than
50% for people with alcoholism and
with serum levels less than 125
mEq/L.

a. less than 20%

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Alcoholism: Risk

Factors." Mayo
Clinic. N.p.,
9 Aug.
2. What's
the normal
range
for 2012.
Web.5Aug.2014.
serum
sodium levels?
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesReferences
conditions/alcoholism/basics/risk-factors/cona. 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L
20020866>.
McGraw, Mark. "Beer Potomania: Drink in This
AtypicalCause of Hyponatremia." Nursing
Center. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 30
July2012.Web.5Aug.2014.
<http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.nursingcenter.com%2F_PDF_.aspx
%3Fan%3D00152193-201207000-00011>.
Harrow, AS. "Beer Potomania Syndrome in an
Alcoholic." National
Center
for
Biotechnology Information. U.S. National
Library
of
Medicine,
June1989.Web.5Aug.2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27636
35>.
Ahmed, Burhan. "Beer Potomania Syndrome
(Hyponatremia)."Medicalopedia. N.p., 10
Sept.2011.Web.5Aug.2014.
<http://www.medicalopedia.org/1361/beerpotomania-syndrome-2/>.

Beer
is
extremely
dangerous
because
it
contains less alcohol than
stronger
drinks.
Beer
Drinkers are under a
FALSE sense of security
and are more likely to
consume more alcohol.
-Danny Castle

What is Beer Potomania?

Explanation
Beer potomania is a
condition caused by a
severe case of
hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia occurs when
the amount of sodium (salt)
in the blood is lower than
normal. Hyponatremia is
characterized by a deceased
serum sodium levels less
than 110 mEq/L, poor
dietary intake, absence of
other known causes of
hyponatremia, and a history
of binge beer drinking. Its
major cause is by the large
amounts of beer intake,
which are estimated more
than fifteen 12 ounce beers
in a short period of time.
Beer is hypoosmolar, which
means its mostly water with
low sodium content, minimal
solutes, and no protein. The
amount of water, also called
free water, individuals can
excrete depends on the
number of osmoles that

exceeds the kidneys ability

to dilate urine. The kidneys
can dilute urine to a
maximum of 50 mosm/L.
The ingestion of the free
water is more than the
kidney can excrete. The
decreased ingestion of
solute is necessary to
excrete the amount of

Nursing Diagnoses
1. Fluid Volume Excess r/t
excess sodium intake and
excess fluid intake.
-Frequently monitor intake
and output; note trends
reflecting decreasing urine
output in relation to urine
input.
2. Imbalanced Nutrition: less
than body requirements
-Monitor signs of malnutrition.
3. Impaired memory r/t alcohol
abuse and fluid and
electrolyte imbalances.
-Demonstrate use of
techniques to help with

Significance to
Nursing
Beer potomania is a
challenging disease for nurses
to manage because it involves
treatment for alcoholism and
hyponatremia at the same
time. Treatment is mostly
focused on correcting
hyponatremia, but nurses also
focus on preventing
neurologic disabilities, and
alcohol-related complications
such as alcohol withdrawal
syndrome or Wernicke
encephalopathy. To
accomplish these goals,
nurses focus on fluid
restriction and infusion of
concentrations such as saline,
diuretics, and hypotonic fluids
with vasopressin. The issues
with treatment measures are
related to the multiple
conditions the patient has.
The underlying conditions
may be masked by alcohol
ingestion, which could
ultimately impact treatment.
It is also challenging because
there are no specific
diagnostic studies for beer
potomania. The serum sodium
level, blood cell counts, and
urine osmolality test will be
severely low, but there is not
one test that can diagnose