Health Network: Man in His 50s Suffers Acute Kidney Injury After Drinking Overnight Water From His Car

A man in his 50s with diabetes and chronic kidney failure reportedly developed acute kidney injury after finishing a bottle of water that had sat in his car for two days.

The man became severely ill after midday at work, with repeated vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Doctors found a high white blood cell count, dehydration and acute kidney injury, and diagnosed acute bacterial gastroenteritis. He reportedly had not eaten raw food or other stale food, prompting physician Hung Yung-hsiang to focus on the bottle of water.

Hung said the man had drunk directly from the bottle during a previous outing and left it in the car’s cup holder. When he became thirsty while driving to work, he picked it up and finished it. According to Hung, bacteria introduced through the mouth and bottle opening may have multiplied in the vehicle’s high temperatures.

Hung described the combination of a bottle touched by the mouth, overnight storage and a hot car as a major contamination risk. He said saliva and food residue can enter the water, while severe vomiting and diarrhea can rapidly reduce blood volume and limit blood flow to the kidneys. Bacterial toxins may also add to the strain on already weakened kidney function.

His three recommendations are simple: throw away bottled water that has touched the lips and remained overnight in a car, use a cup or straw to reduce contact between the mouth and bottle, and do not treat opened bottled water as a permanent emergency supply inside a hot vehicle.