A Rare Case of Water Intoxication in Unusual Chiropratic Prescription: A Medico-Legal Analysis Due to Alleged Malpractice

Abstract

Introduction. Water intoxication is a well-recognized cause of symptomatic hyponatremia, whose often fatal consequences are described 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 medicolegal implications related to malpractice involving a practitioner of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, led to the admission of a professional liability of the chiropractor.