Clay Ingestion: A Rare Cause of Hypokalemia
Authors: JORGE J. GONZALEZ
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1982)

Brief Reports1 July 1982Clay Ingestion: A Rare Cause of HypokalemiaJORGE J. GONZALEZ, M.D., WILLIAM OWENS, M.D., PETER C. UNGARO, M.D., EMILE E. WERK Jr, M.D., PETER W. WENTZ, Ph.D.JORGE J. GONZALEZ, M.D., WILLIAM OWENS, M.D., PETER C. UNGARO, M.D., EMILE E. WERK Jr, M.D., PETER W. WENTZ, Ph.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-97-1-65 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptHypokalemia induced by clay ingestion was reported in 1964 by Mengel and associates (1). They postulated that the potassium-trapping ability of some clays was responsible for the profound hypokalemia that their patient exhibited and drew a convincing parallel between their case and the old Cachexia Africana syndrome (2-3). If one considers the high incidence of clay ingestion in the Southeastern United States (4), it is surprising that few reports of clay-induced hypokalemia have been published. Due to the sparsity of reported cases, clay ingestion has not been recognized as a cause of hypokalemia in standard medical textbooks. We describe a...References1. MENGELCARTERHORTON CWE. Geophagia with iron deficien cy and hypokalemia. Arch Intern Med. 1964;114:470-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. CARPENTER W. Observations on Cachexia Africana, on habits and effects of dirt eating in negro race. New Orleans Med Surg J. 1844; 1:146-68. Google Scholar3. CRAGIN F. Observations on Cachexia Africana on dirt eating. Am J Med Sci. 1835;17:356-64. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. VERMEERFRATE DD. Geophagia in rural Mississippi: environ ment and cultural contexts and nutritional implications. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979;32:2129-35. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ROSELLE H. Association of laundry starch and clay ingestion with anemia in New York City. Arch Intern Med. 1970;125:57-61. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. OKCUOGLUARCASOYMINNICH AAV. Pica in Turkey: I. The incidence and association with anemia. Am J Clin Nutr. 1966;19:125-31. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. MINNICHOKCUOGLUTARCON VAY. Pica in Turkey. II. Effect of clay upon iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr. 1968;21:78-86. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. WARSHAUER S. Starch-eater's anemia. South Med J 1966;59:538-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. LEMINGREEDMARTELO PDO. Magnesium carbonate pica: an unusual case of iron deficiency. Ann Intern Med. 1981;94:660. LinkGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: New Hanover Memorial Hospital Department of Medicine University of North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByA rare case of hypokalaemia and hypophosphataemia secondary to geophagiaPrevalence of Pica in Patients on Dialysis and its Association With Nutritional StatusPotassium DisordersMedical and Health Aspects of PotassiumA study on the effects of pica and iron-deficiency anemia on oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity and trace elementsInvoluntary soil ingestion and geophagia: A source and sink of mineral nutrients and potentially harmful elements to consumers of earth materialsTotal allowable concentrations of monomeric inorganic aluminum and hydrated aluminum silicates in drinking waterDisorders of PotassiumKnowledge Construction: Untapped Perspective in Pursuit for Health EquityStatut en micronutriments de la femme gabonaise lors du diagnostic de sa grossesseEvaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agentsSuccessful removal of cecal stones by using a colonoscope in an individual with repeated lithophagiaSoil and human health: an epidemiological reviewDisorders of Potassium: Hypokalemia and HyperkalemiaTOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND METAL BIOAVAILABILITY IN PREGNANT RATS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO CLAY MINERALS IN THE DIETHypokalemic Myopathy in Pregnancy Caused by Clay IngestionLow plasma zinc and iron in picaPica Associated with Renal and Electrolyte DisordersMore Drug Idiosyncrasies in End-Stage Renal DiseaseDisorders of Potassium MetabolismClay pica associated with profound hypophosphatemia and hypercalcemia in a chronic hemodialysis patientPica, iron deficiency, and the medical historyHypokalemia after pediatric albuterol overdose: A case seriesCultural and medical perspectives on geophagiaDisorders of Potassium MetabolismHypokalemiaSurface Properties of PhyllosilicatesDisorders of Potassium MetabolismDisorders of Potassium HomeostasisPotassium Homeostasis and HypokalemiaSerum electrolyte abnormalities caused by drugsDependence on Kaolin and Morphine Mixture, hypokalaemia and hypertensionIron Deficiency and PicaJORGE J. GONZALEZ, M.D.Clay Ingestion and HypokalemiaNANCY E. GARY, M.D., ROBERT P. EISINGER, M.D.Correction: Missing ReferenceClay Ingestion and Iron Deficiency AnemiaWILLIAM H. CROSBY, M.D. 1 July 1982Volume 97, Issue 1Page: 65-66KeywordsIngestion Issue Published: 1 July 1982 PDF DownloadLoading ...