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Overhydration may have caused death in Army Ranger training
[StarsandStripes] The condition that may have caused the death this week of a U.S. Army Ranger candidate has dogged the military branch for decades as it has grappled with heat-related illnesses and proper hydration for trainees.No cause of death has been determined for 21-year-old 2nd Lt. Michael Parros, 21, of Walnut Creek, California. He was hospitalized for hyponatremia Monday, his first day of the elite training in the sweltering heat at Fort Benning, Georgia, and died Wednesday. The condition can be caused by drinking too much water, which causes the body's level of sodium to become abnormally low.
The number of such cases in the military spiked after guidelines calling for increased fluid intake were issued more than two decades ago to combat heat illnesses during grueling training. Studies on the causes of the condition led to changes in policies to reduce heat-related illnesses and limit fluid intake; just a week before Parros fell ill, the Army issued a major update of its policy to prevent heat-related deaths that addresses the diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia and more clearly defines guidelines for fluid consumption based on activity level, temperature and other factors. Posted by: trailing wife 2016-08-01 |
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