Several reports during the past 15 years have described hyponatremia as a result of excessive water intake by athletes during endurance races. The high rates of fluid consumption have been attributed to the desire of athletes to prevent heat injury. The military has adopted guidelines for programmed drinking to maintain performance and minimize the risk of heat casualties. As military personnel increase their fluid intake, their risk of hyponatremia as a result of water overload increases. A potentially life-threatening complication is acute water intoxication. We report the first known death of an Army basic trainee as a result of acute water intoxication. The misinterpretation of his symptoms as those of dehydration and heat injury led to continued efforts at oral hydration until catastrophic cerebral and pulmonary edema developed.

Postaxial type B polydactyly is the presence of a supernumerary digit attached by soft tissue in a pedunculated fashion to the fifth digit. In the present case, a newborn with bilateral postaxial type B polydactyly underwent suture ligation to remove the supernumerary digit, but multiple ligation attempts were required. Ultimately, residual tissue remained bilaterally, but it did not seem to be painful. A comprehensive review of the literature revealed no clear recommendation on treatment options for patients with postaxial polydactyly. Although suture ligation has been common practice, surgical excision is an acceptable option that can be performed in the neonatal unit and may result in fewer complications than suture ligation.

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