Latest news with #sodiumchloride
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Man Hospitalized With Psychiatric Symptoms Following AI Advice
Recent generations of AI have proven handy for restaurant recommendations and writing emails, but as a source of medical advice they've had some clear drawbacks. Case in point: a man who followed a chatbot's health plan ended up in hospital after giving himself a rare form of toxicity. The story began when the patient decided to improve his health by reducing his intake of salt, or sodium chloride. To find a substitute, he did what so many other people do nowadays: he asked ChatGPT. Related: OpenAI's chatbot apparently suggested sodium bromide, which the man ordered online and incorporated into his diet. While it is true that sodium bromide can be a substitute for sodium chloride, that's usually if you're trying to clean a hot tub, not to make your fries tastier. But the AI neglected to mention this crucial context. Three months later, the patient presented to the emergency department with paranoid delusions, believing his neighbor was trying to poison him. "In the first 24 hours of admission, he expressed increasing paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations, which, after attempting to escape, resulted in an involuntary psychiatric hold for grave disability," the physicians write. After he was treated with anti-psychosis drugs, the man calmed down enough to explain his AI-inspired dietary regime. This information, along with his test results, allowed the medical staff to diagnose him with bromism, a toxic accumulation of bromide. Bromide levels are typically less than around 10 mg/L in most healthy individuals; this patient's levels were measured at 1,700 mg/L. Bromism was a relatively common condition in the early 20th century, and is estimated to have once been responsible for up to 8 percent of psychiatric admissions. But cases of the condition drastically dropped in the 1970s and 1980s, after medications containing bromides began to be phased out. Following diagnosis, the patient was treated over the course of three weeks and released with no major issues. The main concern in this case study isn't so much the return of an antiquated illness – it's that emerging AI technology still falls short on replacing human expertise when it comes to things that truly matter. "It is important to consider that ChatGPT and other AI systems can generate scientific inaccuracies, lack the ability to critically discuss results, and ultimately fuel the spread of misinformation," the authors write. "It is highly unlikely that a medical expert would have mentioned sodium bromide when faced with a patient looking for a viable substitute for sodium chloride." The research was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases. Related News Signs of a Rare Type of Cancer May Be Hiding in Your Voice Scientists May Have Identified a Natural Alternative to Ozempic New Research Confirms Weight-Loss Drug Link With Sudden Vision Loss Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Man accidentally poisons himself after following diet recommended by ChatGPT that made him hallucinate
A man in Washington accidentally poisoned himself after following a diet made by ChatGPT. The unnamed man, 60, rushed to his local emergency room with suspicions that his neighbor was poisoning him. About a day after being admitted to the hospital, he also suffered paranoia and hallucinations and attempted to escape from the hospital. The man later revealed he had several dietary restrictions, including distilling his own water and following an 'extremely restrictive' vegetarian diet. He told doctors after reading about the harms of sodium chloride, or table salt, he asked ChatGPT about eliminating it from his diet. The chatbot reportedly advised him it was safe to replace salt with sodium bromide, which was used as a sedative in the early 20th century and is now found in anticonvulsants for dogs and humans. He ended up following this recommendation for three months and eventually developed bromism, or bromide poisoning. Bromide can accumulate in the body and impair nerve function, a condition called bromism. This leads to confusion, memory loss, anxiety, delusions, rashes and acne, which the man also had. Doctors treating the man, from the University of Washington in Seattle, replicated his search and got the same incorrect advice. They warned that the case highlighted 'how the use of artificial intelligence can potentially contribute to the development of preventable adverse health outcomes.' They said ChatGPT and other chatbots could 'generate scientific inaccuracies, lack the ability to critically discuss results, and ultimately fuel the spread of misinformation.' The anonymous case study, published earlier this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine, comes one week after OpenAI claimed one of the chatbot's newest upgrades could be better at answering health-related questions and 'flagging potential concerns.' However, ChatGPT's guidelines state it is not 'intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition.' The patient appeared to have an earlier version of the software. After attempting to escape from the hospital, the man was put on an involuntary psychiatric hold and given large amounts of fluids and electrolytes to help flush the bromide out of his system. His bromide level was at 1,700 mg/L, while the normal range is between 0.9 and 7.3 mg/L. Bromide was used as a sedative in the 19th and 20th centuries and was once widespread in prescription and over-the-counter drugs. However, as research uncovered the risk of chronic exposure, regulators gradually began removing them from the US drug supply. As a result, cases today remain few and far between. The man reported acne and small red growths on his skin, insomnia, fatigue, muscle coordination issues and excessive thirst. It took three weeks for his bromide levels to stabilize and for him to be weaned off psychiatric medications before he was able to be discharged. The doctors treating him wrote: 'While it is a tool with much potential to provide a bridge between scientists and the nonacademic population, AI also carries the risk for promulgating decontextualized information. 'It is highly unlikely that a medical expert would have mentioned sodium bromide when faced with a patient looking for a viable substitute for sodium chloride.' They also emphasized that 'as the use of AI tools increases, providers will need to consider this when screening for where their patients are consuming health information.'
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A man asked ChatGPT how to remove sodium chloride from his diet. It landed him in the hospital
A 60-year-old man landed in the hospital after asking ChatGPT how to remove sodium chloride from his diet. As humans interact more with artificial intelligence, there continues to be stories of how a conversation with a chatbot could be dangerous, sometimes even deadly. While part of the focus has been on mental health and concerns that chatbots are not equipped to handle these types of struggles, there are also implications for people's physical health. People often hear that you shouldn't Google your symptoms, as medical advice should be given by a health professional, who knows your medical history and can actually examine you. According to a new case report published in the American College of Physicians Journals on Tuesday, you should also be careful when considering asking a chatbot health questions. The report looked at a man who developed bromism after asking ChatGPT for advice on his diet. Bromism, or Bromide toxicity, was well-known in the early 1990s but is less common now. At the time, bromide salts were found in many over-the-counter medications to treat insomnia, hysteria and anxiety. Ingesting too much bromide can cause neuropsychiatric and dermatologic symptoms. The man in this case report had no past psychiatric or medical history, but during the first 24 hours of his hospitalization, he expressed increased paranoia and auditory and visual hallucinations. 'He was noted to be very thirsty but paranoid about water he was offered,' the case report read. The man was treated with fluids and electrolytes and became medically stable, allowing him to be admitted to the hospital's inpatient psychiatry unit. As his condition improved, he was able to share some symptoms he had noticed, including newly appeared facial acne and cherry angiomas, which further suggested he was experiencing bromism. He also said he had been swapping sodium chloride, or table salt, for sodium bromide for three months after reading about the negative health effects of table salt. 'Inspired by his history of studying nutrition in college, he decided to conduct a personal experiment to eliminate chloride from his diet,' the case report read. He had replaced table salt with 'sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT, in which he had read that chloride can be swapped with bromide, though likely for other purposes, such as cleaning.' The man spent three weeks in the hospital before he was well enough to be discharged. 'It is important to consider that ChatGPT and other AI systems can generate scientific inaccuracies, lack the ability to critically discuss results, and ultimately fuel the spread of misinformation,' the authors of the report warned. Open AI, the developer of ChatGPT, admits in its Terms of Use the chatbot's output 'may not always be accurate.' 'You should not rely on Output from our Services as a sole source of truth or factual information, or as a substitute for professional advice,' the Terms of Use say. The company's Service Terms also explicitly state: 'Our Services are not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of any health condition.' Solve the daily Crossword
Health Line
03-06-2025
- General
- Health Line
How to Do a Sinus Flush at Home
Nasal irrigation with a saline solution can help clear your nasal passages. Following safety tips can help prevent infection. Nasal irrigation, also called saltwater sinus flush, is a safe and simple remedy for nasal congestion and sinus irritation that just about anyone can do at home. A 2022 review of 69 studies concluded that nasal saline treatment is effective for treating most sinonasal diseases. Read on to learn more about what a sinus flush is and if you might benefit from it. What is a sinus flush? A sinus flush, also called nasal irrigation, is a process of sending sterile (very clean) water into one side of your nose, through your sinus passages, and out the other side of your nose. It's usually done with saline, which is just a fancy term for salt water. When rinsed through your nasal passages, saline can wash away allergens, mucus, and other debris, and help to moisten the mucous membranes. Some people use a device called a Neti pot to help deliver the salt water to the nasal cavities, but you can also use squeeze bottles or bulb syringes. A sinus flush is generally safe. However, there are a few important safety instructions to be aware of before you try it. How do you do a sinus flush? The first step to flushing your sinuses is to create a saline solution. Typically, this is done by mixing warm, sterile water with pure salt, known as sodium chloride, to create an isotonic solution — or slightly salty water. While you can create your own saline solution at home, you can also purchase sterile, over-the-counter premixed saline packets. It's crucial to use sterile water for this step. Never use water directly from your tap for a nasal flush without sterilizing it first. This is due to the risk of a rare but serious infection with a parasitic amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. If this amoeba enters the sinuses, it makes its way to the brain and causes a serious infection that can be life threatening. You can sterilize your water by boiling it for a minute and then allowing it to cool. Never use hot water – always let it cool to at least room temperature. To clear your sinuses, follow these steps: Stand with your head over a sink or in the shower and tilt your head to one side. Using a squeeze bottle, bulb syringe, or Neti pot, pour or squeeze the saline solution slowly into the upper nostril. Allow the solution to pour out of your other nostril and into the drain. Breathe through your mouth, not your nose, at this time. Repeat on the opposite side. Try not to let the water go down the back of your throat. You may need to adjust your head position until you find the correct angle. Gently blow your nose into a tissue when you're done to clear out any mucus. If you've recently had sinus surgery, resist the urge to blow your nose for 2 weeks following the procedure. Are there tips to do it safely? You may do sinus flushing along with other medications, like antihistamines or decongestants, that you take. A sinus flush carries a small risk of infection and other side effects, but these risks can be easily avoided by following a few simple safety rules: Wash your hands before the sinus flush. Don't use tap water. Instead, use distilled water, filtered water, or water that has been previously boiled and cooled. Clean out your neti pot, bulb, or squeeze bottle with hot, soapy, and sterile water or run it through the dishwasher after each use. Allow it to dry completely. Avoid using cold water, especially if you've just had sinus surgery. For people who recently had surgery for chronic sinusitis, there's a risk of developing bony growths in the nose called paranasal sinus exostoses (PSE) if you use a cold solution. Avoid using very hot water. Throw away the saline solution if it appears cloudy or dirty. Don't perform nasal irrigation on infants. Don't do a saline sinus flush if you have a facial wound that hasn't healed, a neurologic condition, or musculoskeletal problems that put you at a higher risk of accidentally breathing in the liquid. What are the risks and side effects of doing a sinus flush? As mentioned above, failing to use sterile water carries a small risk of infection with a dangerous parasite called Naegleria fowleri. Symptoms of an infection with this parasite include: severe headache stiff neck fever altered mental status seizures coma Boiling your water for at least a minute and then allowing it to cool before mixing in the salt should be sufficient to kill the parasite and prevent infection. If done properly, a sinus flush shouldn't cause any major side effects. Though you may experience some mild effects, including: stinging in the nose sneezing sensation of ear fullness nosebleeds, though this is rare If you find that a sinus flush is particularly uncomfortable, try lowering the amount of salt in the solution. Keep in mind that some bloody nasal discharge may occur for a few weeks following a sinus surgery. This is normal and should improve over time. Do sinus flushes work? Several studies have shown the effectiveness of nasal irrigation for treating acute and chronic sinusitis and allergies. Doctors most often recommend using saline sinus irrigation for chronic sinusitis. In one older study from 2009, patients with chronic sinus symptoms who used saline sinus irrigation once daily reported a 64% improvement in overall symptom severity and a significant improvement in quality of life after 6 months. Research supporting the use of saline flush to treat allergies or the common cold is less definitive. One recent review of clinical trials in people with allergic rhinitis found that while using a saline solution appeared to improve symptoms compared to not using a saline sinus flush, the quality of evidence was low, and further research is needed. How often should you flush? It's fine to do a sinus flush occasionally if you're experiencing a bout of nasal congestion from a cold or allergies. Start with one irrigation per day while you have nasal congestion or other sinus symptoms. If you feel that it is helping your symptoms, repeat the irrigation up to three times per day. Some people continue to use it to prevent sinus issues even when they don't have symptoms. However, some doctors warn that regular use of nasal irrigation may actually increase the risk of sinus infection. Routine use may also hinder some protective features of the mucus membrane lining the nasal passages and sinuses. More research is needed to clarify any long-term side effects of regular saline sinus flushes. At the moment, it's probably best to limit use to when you're experiencing sinus symptoms, or to ask for your doctor's advice.
