Hyperkalemia
Hyperkalemia is a word in medicine to refer to a situation where the level of potassium in the blood is too high. Depending on the level of potassium in a person's bloodstream, it can be a medical emergency. A level that is too high can lead to abnormal hearth rhythms.
| Hyperkalemia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hyperkalaemia |
 | |
| Electrocardiography showing precordial leads in hyperkalemia. | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Symptoms | Palpitations, muscle pain, muscle weakness, numbness[1][2] |
| Complications | Cardiac arrest[1][3] |
| Causes | Kidney failure, hypoaldosteronism, rhabdomyolysis and certain medications[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Blood potassium > 5.5 mmol/L, electrocardiogram[3][4] |
| Differential diagnosis | Pseudohyperkalemia[1][2] |
| Treatment | Medications, hemodialysis and low potassium diet[1] |
| Medication | Calcium gluconate, dextrose, with insulin, salbutamol and sodium bicarbonate[1][3][5] |
| Frequency | 2%[2] |
Causes
Many medications can cause hyperkalemia, and it is much more likely to occur in people kidney problems. Although hyperkalemia often does not cause symptoms, doctors worry about hyperkalemia because it can cause a sudden change of heart rhythm in those who had not been having any symptoms. These abnormal heart rhythms can be deadly.
Death penalty
In cases where death penalty is carried out with lethal injection, a hyperkalemia may be provoked artificially. Some of the mixtures used in the injections contain potassium chloride which will raise the level of potassium in a person's bloodstream considerably.
Hyperkalemia Media
An ECG of a person with a potassium of 5.7 showing large T waves and small P waves
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lehnhardt, Anja. Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of hyperkalemia. Pediatric Nephrology 26 (3) (March 2011). p. 377–384. doi:10.1007/s00467-010-1699-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McDonald, Timothy J. Investigating hyperkalaemia in adults. BMJ 351 (20 October 2015). p. h4762. doi:10.1136/bmj.h4762.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Soar, Jasmeet. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2010 Section 8. Cardiac arrest in special circumstances: Electrolyte abnormalities, poisoning, drowning, accidental hypothermia, hyperthermia, asthma, anaphylaxis, cardiac surgery, trauma, pregnancy, electrocution. Resuscitation 81 (10) (October 2010). p. 1400–1433. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2010.08.015.
- ↑ Pathy, M.S. John. Principles and practice of geriatric medicine 2 (2006). Chichester [u.a.]: Wiley. p. Appendix. ISBN 9780470090558. doi:10.1002/047009057X.app01.
- ↑ Mahoney, Brian A. Emergency interventions for hyperkalaemia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (2) (20 April 2005). p. CD003235. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003235.pub2.