Hyponatremia

Questions

1. What sort of environment (hypertonic, isotonic, hypotonic) does consuming excessive amounts of pure water

create in the body fluid that surrounds your cells? What effect would this have on your cells?

2. What types of symptoms did Jennifer, Cassandra, and James have in common? Which organ or tissue seems to

have been most affected?

3. Keeping in mind your answers to questions 1 and 2, what do you think the immediate cause of death was for

Jennifer, Cassandra, and James?

4. If you suspected that a patient’s symptoms were caused by the condition suffered by Jennifer, Cassandra, and

James, what kinds of test would you run to confirm your suspicions?

5. Once you knew the cause of their symptoms, what kind of emergency treatment might you try for a patient like

Cassandra or James if you were the doctor in charge of their care?

6. Why do you think doctors administer a saline solution instead of pure water to dehydrated patients?

References

1. Woman dies after water-drinking contest. MSNBC. January 13, 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

id/16614865/#.TymcFPmwWBg.

2. Jury awards $16 million to family in fatal radio prank. LA Times. October 29, 2009. http://latimesblogs.latimes.

com/lanow/2009/10/jury-awards-16-million-in-radio-prank-that-left-sacramentoarea-woman-dead-.html.

3. Split verdict surprises and stuns the Killpacks. Deseret News. October 13, 2005. http://www.deseretnews.com/

article/630152910/Split-verdict-surprises-and-stuns-the-Killpacks.html.

4. District officer dies after bike ride: Over-hydration cited as factor. The Washington Post. August 11, 2005. http://

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/ AR2005081001460.html.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CASE STUDY TEACHING IN SCIENCE

“Water Can Kill?” by Susan D. Hester Page 3

Part II – Facts about Hyponatremia

Jennifer, Cassandra, and James died due to a condition known as hyponatremia—a sodium imbalance in the body

fluid and cells. More details are given on the...