On January 15, 2007, a 28-year-old mother of three died from water intoxication (hyponatremia) hours after competing in a Sacramento radio station contest to see which contestant could drink the most water without urinating. The winner of the contest reportedly won a new video game system – the Nintendo Wii. The contest organizers obviously thought it very clever to have a contest called “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.”
They may have been clever in thinking up contest names, but were not quite as clever in knowing the consequences of excess consumption of anything – including water.
Water intoxication — also known as hyponatremia — is more commonly seen among athletes, usually extreme athletes, although it can happen to anyone who consumes too much water, causing a critical loss of sodium. Dick Hanneman made a point of blogging this issue back in September, 2006.
The young Sacramento mother was simply trying to secure the Wii game console for her children.
Contestants were asked to sign a waiver before taking part in the competition, but the winner of the game said participants were never alerted to the dangers.
A listener – apparently a nurse - called the show and warned the deejays of the risks of the game, but to no avail.
Yesterday, the radio station fired the morning disc jockeys and seven other employees involved in setting up the contest
Hyponatremia is a disorder of fluid and electrolyte balance characterized by an excess of body water relative to body sodium content (specifically a serum sodium concentration less than 135 mEq/L). It is the most common electrolyte disorder encountered in clinical medicine and is associated with negative outcomes in many chronic diseases. Yet, most people don’t understand the significance of drinking water to excess without taking supplementary electrolytes, such as salt.
Although most hyponatremia victims may appear to be asymptomatic, severe hyponatremia is a medical emergency that calls for immediate treatment. Complications can include seizures, coma, brain-stem herniation, respiratory arrest, permanent brain damage, and death.
Two years ago, a 21-year-old student died of water intoxication during a hazing incident at Chico State University. He had been forced to drink from a five-gallon jug of water that was repeatedly refilled. He soon collapsed and had a seizure. Fraternity members didn’t initially call an ambulance. By the time they did, it was too late. He was pronounced dead a few hours later.
It difficult to understand why we mindlessly continue to amuse ourselves with challenges that subject our bodies to physiological extremes, but if we do so, everyone should know the risks and consequences.