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Overhydration (OH) is a prevalent medical problem that occurs in patients with kidney failure, but a specific marker has still not been found. Patients requiring kidney replacement therapy suffer from a water imbalance, which is correlated with mortality rates in this population. Currently, clinicians employ techniques such as bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) and ultrasound (USG) markers of overhydration or markers of heart and kidney function, namely NT-pro-BNP, GFR, or creatinine levels. New serum markers, including but not limited to Ca-125, galectin-3 (Gal-3), adrenomedullin (AMD), and urocortin-2 (UCN-2), are presently under research and have displayed promising results. Ca-125, which is a protein mainly used in ovarian cancer diagnoses, holds great potential to become an OH marker. It is currently being investigated by cardiologists as it corresponds to the volume status in heart failure (HF) and ventricular hypertrophy, which are also associated with OH. The need to ascertain a more precise marker of overhydration is urgent mainly because physical examinations are exceptionally inaccurate. The signs and symptoms of overhydration, such as edema or a gradual increase in body mass, are not always present, notably in patients with chronic kidney disease. Metabolic disruptions and cachexia can give a false picture of the hydration status. This review paper summarizes the existing knowledge on the assessment of a patient's hydration status, focusing specifically on kidney diseases and the role of Ca-125.

Polydipsia is a pathologically increased thirst, satisfied by the intake of water in large quantities, which can manifest itself in various somatic or mental diseases and at first glance is similar to a true vasopressin deficiency. Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a disease of the hypothalamic-pituitary region characterized by the inability of the kidneys to reabsorb water and concentrate urine, which is based on a defect in the synthesis or secretion of vasopressin and is manifested by severe thirst and excretion of large amounts of hypotonic urine. The prevalence of the disease in the population is 1:25,000, which characterizes it as a fairly rare pathology of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. The peak incidence is between 30 and 40 years of age. According to various literary sources, the disease is not characterized by gender differences in prevalence, however, on the example of the Moscow population, women prevailed in the incidence structure of CND in a ratio of 2.2:1. Insidiousness, with apparent absences in the difficulty of diagnosing primary polydipsia, lies in the manifestations of water intoxication, thus this condition requires knowledge of clear diagnostic criteria by healthcare professionals and an interdisciplinary approach in the treatment of this condition. On the example of this clinical case, we will try to highlight the differential diagnostic criteria for psychogenic polydipsia in comparison with the true deficiency of arginine vasopressin (AVP) or central diabetes insipidus (CDI), which can be applied in real clinical practice.

The differential diagnosis of hyponatraemia is notoriously wide. However, only a minority is acute, ie develops in less than 48 hours. We describe an unusual cause of water intoxication due to toothache. A 30-year-old man with no medical history of note presented in an acute confusional state. Laboratory results disclosed profound hyponatraemia. Urinary indices were consistent with overdrinking, but in the absence of a reliable history, other aetiologies had to be excluded. This case highlights the benefit of a structured approach in the assessment of electrolyte disturbances., (© Royal College of Physicians 2022. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Water intoxication is a well-recognized cause of symptomatic hyponatremia, whose often fatal consequences are de-scribed in a wide variety of conditions such as psychiatric disorders, metabolic dysfunctions, child abuse, drug abuse and several medical procedures., The Case: We here report a rare case of a 67-year-old woman with severe acute hyponatremia due to an excessive voluntary water intake - 14 litres in two days - following a chiropractic prescription. The patient developed sudden severe symptoms, including water retention, sensory alteration, altered mental status and tonic-clonic seizures. She was thus admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with a diagnosis of coma due to electrolyte alterations following water intoxication., Conclusion: The evaluation, in the present case, of the medico-legal implications related to malpractice involving a practitioner of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, led to the admission of a professional liability of the chiropractor.

The antidiuretic attribute of oxytocin can cause many side effects. Water intoxication is one of the most serious complications. The authors describe a case of water intoxication with neurological symptoms and severe hyponatraemia in the course of natural labor stimulated by oxytocin in a low-dose regimen.

Acute water intoxication (AWI) is a disorder of excess water intake that can manifest in neurological injury and death. We describe a case of a 54-year-old man that presents to the emergency department with a generalized toxic-clonic seizure due to AWI. Initial computed tomography of the brain demonstrated diffuse cerebral edema. However, with correction of serum sodium over the one hospital day, the patient's neurological symptoms and imaging completely resolved. Clinicians should recognize of reversibility of this entity with management of hyponatremia., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus due to the inability of the kidneys to concentrate urine is frequently observed during lithium therapy. Lithium concentrates into principal cells in collecting ducts in the kidney and downregulates aquaporin 2 expression, which reduces renal reabsorption of water. This disease is characterized by polyuria - polydipsia leading to intracellular dehydration and hypernatremia. Water deprivation test is performed to confirm insipidus diabetes. The desmopressin permits to distinguish nephrogenic from cranial insipidus diabetes. We report the case of a 64 years old women who presented with global dehydration and severe hypernatremia. Four years ago, she was hospitalized for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus related to a self-induced lithium intoxication. Persistent nephrogenic insipidus diabetes after cessation of lithium therapy are described in literature, and this hypothesis may be consistent with this case report.

Objectives: A novel method of long-term telemetric monitoring of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) for the determination of current cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and the time course of ICP in freely moving rats under physiological conditions and with increased ICP due to the induced cerebral edema were studied., Methods: The brain edema, that caused volume enlargement and ICP elevation was achieved in entirely experimental conditions without any parallel pathological process. Vasogenic/extracellular edema was induced by osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBd) and for induction of cytotoxic/intracellular edema the water intoxication model (WI) was used., Results: The results showed significantly elevated values of ICP both in conditions of osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBd model) and cytotoxic/intracellular edema (WI model) compared to intact rats. The average values of ICP were significantly higher in WI model compared to osmotic BBBd model. Distinct pattern of elevated ICP, related to the selected way of experimental brain edema induction, was found. In the experimental model of osmotic BBB disruption, the elevation of ICP started earlier but was of very short duration. In WI model the elevation of ICP was present during the whole period of monitoring., Conclusion: Our results indicate that purely experimental models of brain edema (WI, BBBd) without any parallel pathological process can compromise the basic brain homeostatic activity.

Recreational drug use is a significant societal issue and remains a clinical challenge in emergency and critical care departments. We report on a 19-year-old woman admitted to hospital semiconscious and with severe hyponatraemia. Urinalysis was positive for methamphetamine and supported a diagnosis of hyponatraemia related to ecstasy use together with a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). The woman was transferred to an intensive care unit, where a hypertonic saline infusion was started. Three hours postadmission she developed polyuria. Follow-up urinalysis at this point was consistent with water intoxication. This case is a reminder that hyponatraemia is a potentially fatal complication after the ingestion of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, illustrates the sequential nature of an SIADH and water intoxication and highlights the importance of considering the sequence of onset of hyponatraemia, as the patient may be admitted at any stage., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Healthcare professionals frequently advise patients with simple infective illness to drink more fluids. Here, a 59-year-old woman with a urinary tract infection followed such advice resulting in hospital admission with symptomatic acute hyponatraemia. Water intoxication is well recognised as a cause of symptomatic hyponatraemia in endurance sports, MDMA use and psychogenic polydipsia. It has rarely been described outside of these circumstances. With normal renal function, it is difficult to overwhelm the excretory capacity for water. However, in infective illness, increased levels of antidiuretic hormones (which may be secreted both appropriately to correct volume status and inappropriately as a feature of disease) reduce renal excretion of water. In this scenario, could increased administration of oral hypotonic fluids lead to hyponatraemia, with associated morbidity and mortality, than has previously been recognised? There is a need for more research to qualify our oft-given advise to drink more fluids., (2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Vitreous fluid can be used to analyze sodium and chloride levels in deceased persons, but it remains unclear to what extent such results can be used to diagnose antemortem sodium or chloride imbalances. In this study we present vitreous sodium and chloride levels from more than 3000 cases. We show that vitreous sodium and chloride levels both decrease with approximately 2.2mmol/L per day after death. Since potassium is a well-established marker for postmortem interval (PMI) and easily can be analyzed along with sodium and chloride, we have correlated sodium and chloride levels with the potassium levels and present postmortem reference ranges relative the potassium levels. We found that virtually all cases outside the reference range show signs of antemortem hypo- or hypernatremia. Vitreous sodium or chloride levels can be the only means to diagnose cases of water or salt intoxication, beer potomania or dehydration. We further show that postmortem vitreous sodium and chloride strongly correlate and in practice can be used interchangeably if analysis of one of the ions fails. It has been suggested that vitreous sodium and chloride levels can be used to diagnose drowning or to distinguish saltwater from freshwater drowning. Our results show that in cases of freshwater drowning, vitreous sodium levels are decreased, but that this mainly is an effect of postmortem diffusion between the eye and surrounding water rather than due to the drowning process, since the decrease in sodium levels correlates with immersion time., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report a case of bilateral anterolateral crural compartment syndrome elicited by hyponatraemia and psychogenic polydipsia. The unusual constellation of clinical findings and diminished pain expression made initial diagnostic procedures challenging. The possible pathogenesis and treatment options are discussed. Impairment of lower extremity function at follow-up was serious and permanent., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Aim: Paediatric hyponatraemia is usually caused by an excess of antidiuretic hormone and may lead to serious neurological complications. It is challenging for clinicians to differentiate between conditions causing excess water and salt loss. This review analyses individual causes of hyponatraemia and focuses on optimal diagnostic algorithms and treatment strategies., Conclusion: Correct evaluation of hyponatraemia requires proper understanding of the aetiology and appropriate management calls for a detailed history, physical examination and specific laboratory investigations., (©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Studies to date have only investigated primary polydipsia in hospitalized psychiatric patient populations, where rates range from 3% to 25%. The objective of the present study was to determine the occurrence of primary polydipsia in a psychiatric outpatient population, and to determine the perceptions of outpatients with self-induced water intoxication regarding reasons for drinking excess fluids, health risks, and insight into their behavior. All 115 psychiatric outpatients from a Community Outreach Program in Kingston, Ontario, were invited to participate in this study. Of these, 89 (77.4%) were enrolled. Data collection included chart reviews, structured interviews, weight measurements, and urine collection. The incidence of primary polydipsia was found to be 15.7%. One-half of the polydipsic people presenting with medical complications suggestive for water intoxication had cigarette smoking as a strong correlate. There were interesting answers to the self-induced water intoxication questionnaire. These showed a lack of knowledge related to the normal quantity of fluids necessary daily and about healthy behaviors. Excessive drinking occurs in psychiatric patient populations outside of institutional/hospital settings. Patients have limited awareness of the severity and possible complications from their problem. Given the prevalence of polydipsia, more effort should be put into identifying and treating this problem., (Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The assessment of hydration status remains a challenging task in hemodialysis (HD) management. There are only limited data available on the relevance of clinical decisions in the estimation of dialysis overhydration (OH). The objective of this study was to examine the significance of clinical judgment in the assessment of pre-dialysis OH., Methods: We compared the performance of three methods of OH assessment: (1) clinical judgment guided by a single clinical examination with (2) multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and (3) complex systematic clinical approach. We additionally studied the associations of these methods with selected laboratory and imaging parameters., Results: Any of the single parameters alone reached a sufficient level of accuracy for reliable prediction of OH. Clinical judgment was the single most important factor in OH estimation, and also had the highest contribution when in combination with other parameters. BIA reliably measured extracellular fluid, but the automatically calculated OHBIA exhibited a substantial degree of inaccuracy that precludes the use of BIA as a standard at present. The combination of clinical judgment with additional clinical parameters had the highest prediction accuracy for OH. Among the parameters studied, vena cava collapsibility index and calf circumference showed the strongest association with OH. Echocardiography, cardiothoracic index, atrial natriuretic peptide levels and spirometry did not have acceptable sensitivity., Conclusion: The systematic clinical approach combining physician and patient inputs, laboratory and imaging data enables an individualized decision and a superior accuracy in OH assessment.

Pregnant women in labour are generally encouraged by their carers to continue taking plenty of oral fluids. This is sometimes supplemented by intravenous fluids either due to a clinical necessity or in preparation for a caesarean section. It is important that there is clear documentation of the amount of fluids received by pregnant women in the perinatal period as excessive maternal fluid has been associated with low serum sodium in neonates. This often goes under-recognised; therefore it is important to consider this in a neonate presenting with hyponatraemia in the first day of life. Presented here is a case of neonatal hyponatraemia secondary to excessive fluid taken in the perinatal period.

Most of the clinical data on the safety profile of desmopressin (DDAVP), which is an effective treatment for both polyuric conditions and bleeding disorders, originate from studies on the tailoring of drug treatment, whereas few reports exist describing severe side effects secondary to drug-drug interaction. We herein describe a case of severe hyponatremia complicated by seizure and coma due to the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in a patient on DDAVP replacement therapy for central diabetes insipidus (DI). A 50-yr-old Caucasian man, with congenital central DI, developed an episode of generalized tonic-clonic seizure, resulting in coma immediately after being admitted to the Emergency Unit for weakness and emesis. Based on his medical history and clinical findings, water intoxication secondary to ketoprofen intake (200 mg/day for the last 3 days) concomitant with DDAVP replacement therapy (Minirin(®) 60 mcg 4 tablets a day) was hypothesized as being the cause of the severe euvolemic hypotonic hyponatremia (natremia 113 mEq/l, plasma osmolality 238 mOsm/Kg). After standard emergency procedures, appropriate gradual restoration of serum sodium levels to the normal range was achieved in 72 hours. Hydratation was maintained according to water excretion and desmopressin therapy was re-introduced. We discuss this case report in the context of the published literature. The present report first highlights the potentially life-threatening side effects associated with over-the-counter NSAIDs during DDAVP replacement therapy for central DI. Risks and benefits of co-treatment should be carefully considered and therapeutic alternatives to NSAIDs should be recommended to patients with central DI in order to improve DDAVP safety.

Pelvic ultrasonography (US) is a simple and non-invasive radiologic test to evaluate the pelvic organs. It requires a full bladder for better visualization. Our case is a 14-year-old female with diabetes insipidus (DI) who admitted to the pediatric emergency service with the complaints of seizure and agitation after drinking 4 liters of water in one hour for a pelvic US examination due to work-up for delayed puberty. Her biochemical and clinical evaluation revealed water intoxication (WI). To our knowledge, this is the first WI case developed in a patient with DI. Here, we discuss the underlying factors leading to this complication and recommended an approach to obtain a better sonographic image without necessitating oral water intake to fill the urinary bladder.

Polydipsia is a less examined but prevalent condition in patients with psychiatric disorders. It is usually described in schizophrenia but is rarely reported in bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). It is important to recognize and treat this entity as it can lead to serious complications. One needs to be cautious in choosing the mood stabilizer while treating this condition. We report the successful treatment of a patient with BPAD and polydipsia on a combination of valproate and risperidone., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Polydipsia and episodic life-threatening water intoxication remain important clinical problems for a significant portion of persons with schizophrenia. The disorders are associated with increased morbidity and mortality from a number of causes. With a basic understanding of the pathophysiology, one can easily diagnose and assess the clinical conditions. We review here the scope and pathophysiology of disordered water imbalance, including both primary and secondary polydipsia and hyponatremia. Reversible factors and possible interventions are reviewed. Treatment options for preventing water intoxication have expanded from discontinuation of offending agents, targeted fluid restriction, and clozapine therapy to the addition of oral vasopressin antagonists. The latter, however, are extremely potent and must be carefully monitored.

Polydipsia and water intoxication (PWI) are relatively frequent among schizophrenic subjects, particularly in institutional settings and may lead to severe complications. However, little is known on their association with other characteristics of psychosis. Hence, we took advantage of a cohort of 114 subjects extensively assessed on natural history and clinical variables to examine the correlates of PWI in chronic schizophrenia. We randomly sampled DSM-IV schizophrenic subjects from: i) a lower functioning subgroup, i.e., long-term psychiatric wards or highly structured group housing facilities; and ii) a higher functioning subgroup, i.e., patients living in the community without supervision. Subjects were assessed from multiple sources for lifetime severity of positive, disorganisation, negative and depressive symptoms, premorbid adjustment, age of onset, level of functioning, comorbid diagnoses of substance abuse and lifetime history of PWI. Twelve subjects (10.5%) met our PWI criteria. We observed more severe psychotic symptoms, earlier onset, poorer current adjustment and more frequent prior alcohol use disorder in PWI subjects. When restricting comparisons to patients living in institutional setting, differences on clinical and natural history variables vanished but the association between PWI and prior alcohol abuse persisted (72.7% in PWI vs. 21.4% in non-PWI subjects, p<0.01). Onset of alcohol abuse predated the onset of PWI by a mean of 12.8 years. PWI schizophrenic subjects are characterized by a non-specific greater severity on a broad array of clinical and natural history variables and by a specific association with prior alcohol abuse. Thus, our data suggest that a greater severity of illness and a prior history of alcohol use disorders interact in increasing the risk of developing PWI in chronic schizophrenic patients., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ultrasound (US) is a simple, easily accessible, and noninvasive method. Thus, it is commonly used. The bladder should be sufficiently filled to acquire pelvic images by US. This report describes water poisoning in 3 patients with no hepatic, cardiac, or renal disease. Both patients had a history of excessive fluid intake.

We report two patients with acute hyponatremic encephalopathy which developed after massive water ingestion for pelvic ultrasound and emphasize the findings of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Both subjects had completely recovered within 24 hours following fluid restriction and salt replacement. MR imaging revealed cortical sulcal narrowing, restricted diffusion and sulcal T2 hyperintensity along with diffuse pial enhancement suggesting diffuse cerebral cortical cytotoxic edema and blood-brain barrier breakdown. In addition to the first illustration of multimodality MR imaging features of water-intoxication, these two cases also highlight the need for standardized practice on the quantity of water intake recommended to distend the bladder for pelvic ultrasound, especially in patients at risk for serum inappropriate ADH syndrome-related hyponatremia.

Two girls, 16 and 18 years old, with anorexia nervosa developed generalized convulsion as a result of drinking excessive amounts of water. The neurological symptoms disappeared, but the girls held on to their excessive drinking habits, despite psychoeducation. Although fluid restriction is known to be a major problem for anorexia nervosa patients within the context of extreme fasting, one should realize that these patients can also run the risk of water intoxication following excessive water intake. Therefore all patients should be questioned explicitly about their daily fluid intake. In the case of polydipsia, the patient's blood should be tested and serum electrolytes should be measured. Patients should be given psychoeducation in order to make them more aware of the possible dangers of excessive water intake.

Water intoxication, a form of acute hyponatremia, has been described in various clinical situations. Although hyponatremia is a common metabolic disorder in hospitalized patients, it is generally not well known as a hazard in the labor and delivery room. However, several factors predispose laboring women to develop hyponatremia. Moreover, because the fetus acquires water from the maternal circulation via the placenta, and there is a close correlation between maternal and cord blood serum sodium levels, the newborn infant of a hyponatremic mother is also at considerable risk of developing water intoxication. We review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, and treatment of this hazardous disorder. We emphasize the need for awareness of this condition, and call attention to the risk of fluid overload during labor.

Objective: Growth hormone (GH)-deficiency is associated with a reduced extracellular volume (ECV), whereas GH replacement may cause fluid retention. We have tested a simple method to assess hydration in GH-deficient patients (GHD) based on concomitant measurements of body resistance by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and arm muscle area (AMA)., Design: We prospectively followed 130 patients (54 females, 76 males) with adult-onset GHD before and during 1-5 years GH replacement therapy., Methods: Concomitant measurements of body resistance and AMA were done on four occasions: before treatment, after one month and one year of treatment, and at the most recent visit. Based on normative data obtained in 142 women and 84 men an inverse relationship was documented between body resistance and AMA. Assuming that linear height and the concentration of electrolytes remain constant, body resistance at a given AMA will reflect specific hydration., Results: In the patients a gender-specific inverse correlation between body resistance and AMA existed, which was different from the control group and changed during GH replacement. A deviation between predicted (based on normative data) and measured body resistance at a given AMA was recorded in the patients before and during therapy compatible with relative dehydration in the untreated state followed by an increase in hydration during therapy., Conclusions: Concomitant measurements of BIA and AMA in GHD patients may provide a non-invasive and simple means to estimate hydration before and during GH replacement.

Psychogenic polydipsia (PPD), a clinical disorder characterized by polyuria and polydipsia, is a common occurrence in inpatients with psychiatric disorders. The underlying pathophysiology of this syndrome is unclear, and multiple factors have been implicated, including a hypothalamic defect and adverse medication effects. Hyponatremia in PPD can progress to water intoxication and is characterized by symptoms of confusion, lethargy, and psychosis, and seizures or death. Evaluation of psychiatric patients with polydipsia warrants a comprehensive evaluation for other medical causes of polydipsia, polyuria, hyponatremia, and the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. The management strategy in psychiatric patients should include fluid restriction and behavioral and pharmacologic modalities.

There are two distinct facets of adequate fluid balance control in haemodialysis patients--estimation of dry weight (DW) as the target and adequate ultrafiltration (UF) strategy, i.e. the way to reach the target in a possibly symptom-free way. The article reviews the continuous blood volume monitoring (CBVM) based procedures to deal with the former facet-DW determination. The existing approaches are divided in three groups--methods defining certain alert value of relative blood volume (RBV) reduction, methods working with RBV response to constant UF rate, and methods evaluating dynamics of RBV response to UF pulse or chain of UF pulses. While the first and the third approaches are relatively easy to automate, the second group of methods are suitable mainly for observational evaluations only. All the discussed methods, without exception, need large-scale verification, as they all were evaluated in the majority by their authors only and on small patient cohorts.

Case Report: The authors report the case of an infant presenting with status epilepticus, apneas and hypothermia, related to hyponatremia. The cause was water intoxication, secondary to feeding a dilute formula and free water. The parents were notoriously challenged by the care of their children. Such disorder could have been prevented., Conclusion: Dietary history may be key to the diagnosis of hyponatremia in children. Water intoxication of nutritional origin can be prevented.

Background: Irrigation of closed body spaces may lead to substantial perioperative fluid and electrolyte shifts. A syndrome occurring during transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), and a similar syndrome described in women undergoing transcervical endometrial ablation (TCEA) are both characterised by a spectrum of symptoms which may range from asymptomatic hyponatraemia to convulsions, coma, and death. Such potentially serious consequences require prompt recognition and appropriate management of this "water intoxication" syndrome., Objectives: To examine the role of a previously described core algorithm "COVER ABCD-A SWIFT CHECK", supplemented by a specific sub-algorithm for water intoxication, in the management of this syndrome occurring in association with anaesthesia., Methods: The potential performance of this structured approach for each of the relevant incidents among the first 4000 reported to the Australian Incident Monitoring Study (AIMS) was compared with the actual management as reported by the anaesthetists involved., Results: From the first 4000 incidents reported to AIMS, 10 reports of water intoxication were identified, two from endometrial ablations under general anaesthesia and eight from male urological procedures under spinal anaesthesia. The "core" crisis management algorithm detected a problem in seven cases; however, it was deficient in dealing with neurological presentations. Diagnosis of the cause of the incident would have required a specific water intoxication sub-algorithm in eight cases and a hypotension algorithm in a further two cases. Corrective strategies also required a specific sub-algorithm in eight cases, while the hypotension and cardiac arrest sub-algorithms were required in conjunction with the water intoxication sub-algorithm in the remaining two., Conclusion: This relatively uncommon problem is managed poorly using the "core" crisis management sub-algorithm and requires a simple specific sub-algorithm for water intoxication.

Psychogenic polydipsia can lead to compartment syndromes, which is too infrequently considered in psychiatric patients who binge-drink on hypotonic fluids. If masked by the leading clinical presentation of cerebral edema, compartment syndromes of the extremities may be diagnosed too late or remain undetected. Based on a literature review and case report, we discuss additional factors and the specific features of diagnosis and treatment.

A 4-year-8-month-old boy was brought to our emergency department with coma and seizure. Initial physical examination showed evidence of physical child abuse and sudden body weight gain of 3.4 kg in one day. The laboratory results showed normal renal function with severe hyponatremia and the MRI study showed diffuse brain swelling. All of these findings were compatible with the diagnosis of acute water intoxication. Careful history taking from the boy and his parents separately confirmed the course of chronic polydipsia with acute compulsive water drinking. After clinical assessment and follow-up by psychiatrist, the patient was diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder. We present this case and show the possibility of correlation between compulsive water drinking, child abuse and hyperactivity disorder on acute water intoxication.

A 42-year-old Chinese woman presented with transient confusional state and memory loss due to acute water intoxicational hyponatremia complicating colonic irrigation (enemas) used as an alternative medicine to promote health. Although there is no evidence that such "antiautointoxication" technique conveys true benefit in any condition, this form of "quackery" may actually cause harm, such as water intoxication as in this case.

Bedside evaluation of a patient's intravascular volume status is challenging, even for the seasoned practitioner. There is no single diagnostic test to determine whether a patient is hypovolemic, hypervolemic, or euvolemic. Often, underlying or concomitant disease states, medications, and other therapeutics can make available data difficult to interpret. Therefore, a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory studies, and other diagnostics are required to make a clinical judgment regarding volume status. Patients who demonstrate alterations in their volume status are likely to have electrolyte abnormalities as well, and assessment of serum electrolyte values and potential therapeutic interventions is a vital piece in caring for critically ill patients.

Peritoneal dialysis is commonly preformed by patients and their caregivers in the home, in nursing homes, and in both acute and rehabilitation hospitals. The success of the therapy requires that the nurse overseeing the care of the patient on peritoneal dialysis in the acute, sub-acute, and chronic settings has the skills and knowledge to identify specific non-infectious issues, choose an appropriate and effective intervention activity, document the findings and outcomes, and educate the patient to assist in the resolution of the non-infectious issues, and avoid future recurrence. This article reviews the most common non-infectious complications that occur in patients on peritoneal dialysis and discusses an organized clinical process to troubleshoot the issues and achieve the desired clinical outcomes.

We describe a 4 year-old boy with hypothalamic dysfunction and weight loss, attributed to psychosocial deprivation. Reduced intensity of the posterior pituitary bright signal (PPBS) on MRI, associated with a normal urinary concentrating ability, was documented in the 24 hours prior to the development of the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and severe hyponatraemia. The PPBS was normal on MRI 2 months later, following weight gain and resolution of the other hypothalamic abnormalities. This report shows that the abnormalities of ADH associated with decreased intensity of the PPBS include increased secretion and abnormal regulation as well as ADH deficiency. The association of osmotically unregulated ADH secretion with undernutrition and stress suggests that particuar caution should be used when fluid intake in such children is not driven by thirst.

A patient was evaluated medically after submitting a urine sample for drug screening that was considered inappropriately dilute. Although it was thought that the dilute urine was the result of purposely adding water, the medical evaluation revealed that the patient had chronic water intoxication from a very strict weight loss regimen. The effect of dietary solute intake on water metabolism by the kidneys and the development of hyponatremia are discussed.

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released into circulation in response to ventricular dilatation and pressure overload. Plasma BNP concentration correlates with left ventricular mass and dysfunction, which is prevalent in hemodialysis (HD) patients., Methods: To evaluate the potential of BNP level for determination of hydration status, we measured inferior vena caval diameter (IVCD) and BNP levels and performed bioimpedance analysis in 49 HD patients., Results: Pre-HD BNP levels remained unchanged after HD. Agreement between IVCD and pre-HD BNP level in overhydration was significant (kappa = 0.304). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for overhydration was 0.819 for pre-HD BNP level. When extracellular fluid/total-body water (ECF/TBW) ratios of HD patients were compared with those of 723 controls, pre- and post-HD BNP levels were significantly greater in overhydrated patients. The area under the ROC curve for overhydration by ECF/TBW ratio was 0.781 for pre-HD BNP level. However, there was no significance for pre- or post-HD BNP levels on assessment of normohydration or underhydration. Pre-HD BNP level correlated significantly with post-HD BNP level, post-HD diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and ECF/TBW ratio. IVCD correlated significantly with post-HD BNP level., Conclusion: BNP level seems to have a limited potential for assessment of overhydration in HD patients.