Abstract
Only a few cases of severe acute water intoxication (AWI) due to intranasal desmopressin have been reported, none of which occurred in patients with primary polydipsia. We describe a case of AWI with semicoma and convulsions, due to intranasal desmopressin, in a 32-year-old patient with dipsogenic diabetes insipidus. Previous reported cases of AWI due to desmopressin are discussed. The importance of ruling out primary polydipsia when this drug is used, not only for central diabetes insipidus but also for other current indications such as classic hemophilia, is stressed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Richardson D.W., Robinson A.G. Desmopressin. Ann. Intern. Med. 103: 228, 1985.
Simmonds E.J., Mahony M.J, Littlewood J.M. Convulsion and coma after intranasal desmopressin in cystic fibrosis. Br. Med. J. 297:1614, 1988.
Aronson A.S., Svenningsen N.W. DDAVP test for estimation of renal concentrating capacity in infants and children. Arch. Dis. Child. 49:654, 1974.
Koskimies O., Pylkkänen J, Vilska J. Water intoxication in infants caused by the urine concentration test with vasopressin analogue (DDAVP). Acta Pediatr. Scan. 73: 131,1984.
Lund M., Bangstad H.J. Vannintoksikasjon; diabetes insipidus behandlet med Minirin. Tidsskr. Nor. Loegeforen 16: 743, 1986.
Laureno R., Karp B.I. Pontine and extrapontine myelinolisis following rapid correction of hyponatremia. Lancet 2:1439, 1988.
Illowsky B.P., Kirch D.G. Polydipsia and hyponatremia in psychiatric patients. Am. J. Psychiatry 145: 683, 1988.
Berl T. Psychosis and water balance. N.Engl. J. Med. 370:441, 1988.
Robertson G.L. Psychogenic Polydipsia and Inappropriate Antidi-uresis. Arch. Intern. Med. 140:1574, 1980.
Thiess W., Sauer E. DDAVP: Alternative zur Substitutionsbehandlung bei leichter Hämophilie A und Von-Willebrand-Jurgens-Syndrom. Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 95: 75, 1977.
Sheperd L.L., Hutchinson R.J., Worden E.X., Koopman C.K., Coran A. Hyponatremia and seizures after intravenous administration of desmopressin acetate for surgical hemostasis. J. Pediatr. 114: 470, 1989.
Robertson G.L. Posterior Pituitary. In: Felig P, Baxter J.D, Broadus A.E, Frohman L.A. (Eds.). Endocrinology and Metabolism, ed. 2. Mc. Graw-Hill, 1987, p. 338.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferrer, J., Halperin, I., Conget, J.I. et al. Acute water intoxication after intranasal desmopressin in a patient with primary polydispsia. J Endocrinol Invest 13, 663–666 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03349590
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03349590