A nurse is assessing a client who has diuretic overuse. What laboratory finding is typical in someone with hyponatremia?

The typical laboratory finding associated with hyponatremia, especially in the context of diuretic overuse, is low urine specific gravity. This indicates a dilute urine, which is a common result of the body's attempts to compensate for low sodium levels. When the sodium concentration in the blood decreases, the kidneys may excrete more dilute urine in an effort to balance the sodium and water content in the body.

In cases of diuretic overuse, there is an increased loss of sodium and water, leading to hyponatremia. The kidneys respond by producing urine with low specific gravity, reflecting the high water content relative to solutes. A low specific gravity suggests that the kidneys are not concentrating urine effectively, which aligns with the physiological response to sodium depletion.

Other findings such as high urine specific gravity or increased sodium in urine would not be consistent with hyponatremia due to diuretic use; rather, they could indicate other electrolyte imbalances or kidney function issues. Thus, the low urine specific gravity is a direct result of the body's response to maintain homeostasis in the setting of low serum sodium.