A patient is admitted with hypernatremia secondary to diabetes insipidus (DI).Which test would help the practitioner differentiate between central and nephrogenic DI?

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The antidiuretic hormone test is used to differentiate between neurogenic diabetes insipidus (DI)(central)and nephrogenic (kidney)DI.In severe central DI,in which the pituitary is affected,the urine osmolality shows a significant increase (becomes more concentrated),which indicates that the cell receptor sites on the kidney tubules are responsive to vasopressin.Test results in which urine osmolality remains unchanged indicate nephrogenic DI,suggesting kidney dysfunction because the kidneys are no longer responsive to antidiuretic hormone.

A Patient Is Admitted with Hypernatremia Secondary to Diabetes Insipidus