Postresuscitation Hypokalemia in a Patient with a Normal Prearrest Serum Potassium Level
Authors: DAVID M. SALERNO
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1988)

Brief Reports1 June 1988Postresuscitation Hypokalemia in a Patient with a Normal Prearrest Serum Potassium LevelDAVID M. SALERNO, M.D., Ph.D.DAVID M. SALERNO, M.D., Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-108-6-836 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIn two separate clinical studies, patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest had a nearly 50% incidence of hypokalemia when serum potassium was measured in the emergency room immediately after resuscitation (1, 2). Although many of these patients had been taking diuretics, a clear association between diuretic therapy and postresuscitation hypokalemia was not found. Nonetheless, these observations suggested that hypokalemia is a common precipitating factor in cardiac arrest. Data have shown that hypokalemia can precipitate ventricular arrhythmias, although this point is still argued (3, 4). In one of these clinical studies, rapid resolution of postresuscitation hypokalemia occurred, even though patients received...References1. THOMPSON R and COBB L. Hypokalemia after resuscitation from out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation. JAMA. 1982:248:2860-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. SALERNO D, ASINGER R, ELSPERGER J, RUIZ E, and HODGES M. Frequency of hypokalemia after successfully resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest compared to that in transmural acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1987;59:84-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. HOLLAND O, NIXON J, and KUHNERT L. Diuretic-induced ventricular ectopic activity. Am J Med. 1981;70:762-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. NORDREHAUG J, JOHANNESSEN K, and VON DER LlPPE G. Serum potassium concentration as a risk factor of ventricular arrhythmias early in acute myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1985;71:645-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ADROGUE H and MADIAS N. Changes in plasma potassium concentration during acute acid-base disturbances. Am J Med. 1981;71:456-67. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. SALERNO D, ELSPERGER J, HELSETH P, MURAKAMI M, and CHEPURI V. Serum potassium, calcium, and magnesium after resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation: a canine study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1987;10:178-85. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. BROWN M, BROWN D, and MURPHY M. Hypokalemia from beta-2-receptor stimulation by circulating epinephrine. N Engl J Med. 1983;309:1414-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. STRUTHERS A, REID J, WHITESMITH R, and RODGER J. Effect of intravenous adrenaline on electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and serum potassium. Br Heart J. 1983;49:90-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. SALERNO D, DUNBAR D, and SHARKEY P. Hypokalemia after cardioversion from ventricular tachycardia induced in the electrophysiology laboratory. Am Heart J. 1987. [In press]. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. SALERNO D, ELSPERGER K, and MURAKAMI M. Propranolol blockade of hypokalemia after resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation. Circulation. 1986;74(suppl 2):II-146. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: DAVID M. SALERNO, M.D., Ph.D.Affiliations: Hennepin County Medical Center University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byElectrolyte Disorders in the PICUInfluence of the time on the prevalence of drug-related resuscitated sudden death during these past 20yearsAcid-Base, Electrolyte, and Metabolic AbnormalitiesLife-threatening ventricular arrhythmias due to transient or correctable causes: high risk for death in follow-upAdmission Serum Potassium in Patients With Acute Myocardial InfarctionHyperaldosteronism and sudden cardiac deathSerum Electrolytes and Catecholamines After Cardioversion From Ventricular Tachycardia and Atrial FibrillationThe effects of β1- and β2-adrenergic blockade and calcium channel blockade on postresuscitation electrolyte changesDefibrillation and CardioversionCalcium handling by renal tubules during oxygen deprivation injury to the kidney prior to reoxygenationThe Cardiac Electrophysiology of Postresuscitation Hypokalemia in DogsDisorders of Potassium HomeostasisSerum electrolyte disturbances in the post-resuscitation period 1 June 1988Volume 108, Issue 6Page: 836-837KeywordsArrhythmiaDiureticsEmergency departmentHeartPotassiumResuscitation ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 June 1988 PDF downloadLoading ...