Mother of 2 dies after drinking too much water while medical staff was distracted by phones, inquest finds

A woman in England died in 2021 after she drank too much water and her sodium levels became dangerously low while under the care of medical staff for a mental breakdown.

She began drinking water excessively while at the unit and slipped into a coma after reaching dangerously low sodium levels, which led to brain swelling, the investigation found. 

Despite psychogenic polydipsia being a well-known psychiatric disorder marked by excessive water drinking, the staff failed to diagnose Whitehead and she continued to have unmonitored access to water.