Hadjizacharia et al identified risk factors for acute diabetes insipidus occurring in a patient after severe head injury. The authors are from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles.
Criteria for acute diabetes insipidus:
(1) hypernatremia
(2) serum hyperosmolarity
(3) urine output > 300 mL per hour for > 3 hours
(4) correction with desmopressin acetate (DDAVP)
Risk factors for diabetes insipidus after head injury:
(1) AIS for head
(2) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
(3) cerebral edema
Parameter
Finding
Points
AIS for head
1,2 or 3
0
4 or 5
1
Glasgow Coma Scale
3 to 8
1
9 to 15
0
cerebral edema
absent
0
present
1
number of risk factors =
= SUM(points for the 3 risk factors)
Interpretation:
• minimum number of risk factors: 0
• maximum number of risk factors: 3
• The risk for diabetes insipidus increases with the number of risk factors present.
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