Citation

Siegel AJ, Patti RB, Yip AG. Am. J. Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.08.037

PMID

33002496

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Water intoxication can induce life-threatening hypotonic encephalopathy. If undiagnosed or inadequately treated, cerebral edema can progress to brain death due to uncal herniation. We report herein a patient with refractory depression who was found unresponsive because of clandestine self-induced water intoxication. Emergent infusion of intravenous hypertonic (3%) saline rapidly restored consciousness, leading to a full recovery without complications...

Language: en

Keywords

suicide attempt; cerebral edema; hypertonic 3% saline; hyponatremia; self-induced water intoxication