Fatal hyponatremia in a young woman after ecstasy ingestion.
BACKGROUND
A 20-year old, otherwise healthy, female college student presented in an unresponsive state with respiratory distress after ingesting ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). She had initial plasma sodium concentration of 117 mmol/l.


METHODS
Physical examination, blood chemistry panel, urinary osmolality and electrolytes, arterial blood gas, chest X-ray, and CT scan of the brain.


METHODS
Hyponatremia associated with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema and cerebral edema.


RESULTS
Administration of a total of 6.8 l of isotonic saline and 0.245 l of 3% hypertonic saline with sporadic administration of intravenous furosemide. The patient died approximately 12 h after admission.
Kalantar-Zadeh
Kamyar
K
Harbor-UCLA Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Torrance, CA 90502-2064, USA. kamkal@ucla.edu
Nguyen
Minhtri K
MK
Chang
Roger
R
Kurtz
Ira
I
D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000506:poisoning*
D006213:Hallucinogens; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine