What it means
A condition unrelated to blood sugar in which the kidneys cannot concentrate urine, so the person passes large amounts of very dilute urine and is very thirsty. In central diabetes insipidus the pituitary releases too little antidiuretic hormonean-tee-dy-yoo-RET-ik HOR-mohnA hormone from the pituitary gland that tells the kidneys to hold on to water, making the urine more concentrated.anti- againstdiuretic making urineFull entry , often after head injury or brain surgery. In nephrogenic diabetes insipidus the kidneys do not respond to it, sometimes because of drugs such as lithiumLITH-ee-umA mood-stabilizing drug used mainly to treat and prevent the mood episodes of bipolar disorder.Full entry . Desmopressin replaces the hormone in the central type.
For the nurse
Measure intake and output and weigh daily. Watch urine specific gravity (it falls below about 1.005) and serum sodium (it rises), and look for signs of dehydrationdee-hy-DRAY-shunA state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in.de- remove, lack ofhydr/o water-ation processFull entry . Report a sudden rise in urine output after a head injury.
Remember it
Diabetes insipidus is the "dry" one: water leaves, sodium stays high.
At a glance
| Spanish | diabetes insípida |
|---|---|
| Also written | DI |
Easy to confuse with
diabetes mellitus
A long-term disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
Related terms
dehydration
A state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in.
hypernatremia
A blood sodium level above normal, over 145 mEq/L.
polyuria
Passing an abnormally large amount of urine, usually more than about 2.5 to 3 liters a day in an adult.
antidiuretic hormone
A hormone from the pituitary gland that tells the kidneys to hold on to water, making the urine more concentrated.
pituitary gland
A gland the size of a pea, hanging below the brain, whose hormones control many other glands.