Electrolyte imbalances can make or break your management on the wards and in the OR. Sodium, the OG electrolyte, has a way of testing your knowledge under pressure—whether it’s hyponatremia in a trauma patient or hypernatremia in the ICU.

In this high-yield episode, Chris and Mars break down everything you need to know about sodium disorders for the surgery shelf exam. From differentiating Cerebral Salt Wasting from Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone to decoding Diabetes Insipidus, they cover the pathophysiology, diagnostic pearls, and life-saving treatment strategies—plus the critical correction rates you can’t afford to forget.

We cover: ✅ How to tell Cerebral Salt Wasting from Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone using volume status ✅ The sodium correction rules to avoid osmotic demyelination syndrome and cerebral edema ✅ Thiazide diuretic hyponatremia and why restarting them is a trap ✅ Pseudo-hyponatremia in hyperglycemia and how to calculate the corrected sodium ✅ Central vs. Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus, the DDAVP test, and targeted treatments

Perfect for med students prepping for the shelf, surgery residents sharpening their inpatient management, and anyone who wants to avoid dangerous sodium correction pitfalls.