No abstract

Water intoxication is a life-threatening disorder accompanied by brain function impairment due to severe dilutional hyponatremia. We present a young woman who had multiple emergency admissions with severe dyselectrolytemias involving several electrolytes. Further assessment revealed a long history of chronic polydipsia and episodic water intoxication. Her serum electrolytes were normal after an overnight fluid fast. She had no further admissions after discussion and counseling concerning excessive water drinking. This case emphasizes the importance of obtaining an accurate fluid intake history in cases of hyponatremia and multiple electrolyte disturbances.