Serum sodium levels in sigmoid volvulus

Sigmoid volvulus (SV) is an uncommon type of large bowel obstruction. This study sought to determine serum sodium concentrations in patients with SV. The records of 89 patients with SV and 40 patients with obstructive rectosigmoid cancer (ORC) were reviewed retrospectively. The mean serum sodium concentrations in patients with SV and in those with ORC were 138.4±4.5 mEq/L and 137.7±3.2 mEq/L, respectively (t:0.7, P>0.05). The numbers of hyponatremic and hypernatremic patients were 13 vs. 4 and 1 vs. 0, respectively, in the SV and ORC groups (x2:0.5, P>0.05). No cause-effect relationship was determined between serum sodium concentrations and SV.