TY - JOUR
T1 - Hypokalaemia and paralysis
AU - Lin, S. H.
AU - Lin, Y. F.
AU - Halperin, M. L.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - It is not uncommon for patients to present to the emergency room with severe weakness and a markedly low plasma potassium concentration. We attempted to identify useful clues to the diagnosis of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (HPP), because its acute treatment aims are unique. We retrospectively reviewed charts over a 10-year period: HPP was the initial diagnosis in 97 patients. Mean patient age was 29 ± 1.1 and the male:female ratio was 77:20. When the final diagnosis was HPP (n=73), the acid-base state was normal, the urine K+ concentration was low, and the transtubular K+ concentration gradient (TTKG) was + excretion in the presence of hypokalaemia, and a TTKG of close to 7. With respect to therapy, much less K+ was given to patients with HPP, yet 1:3 subsequently had a plasma K+ concentration that eventually exceeded 5.0 mmol/l. Using plasma acid-base status, phosphate and K+ excretion parameters allows a presumptive diagnosis of HPP with more confidence in the emergency room.
AB - It is not uncommon for patients to present to the emergency room with severe weakness and a markedly low plasma potassium concentration. We attempted to identify useful clues to the diagnosis of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (HPP), because its acute treatment aims are unique. We retrospectively reviewed charts over a 10-year period: HPP was the initial diagnosis in 97 patients. Mean patient age was 29 ± 1.1 and the male:female ratio was 77:20. When the final diagnosis was HPP (n=73), the acid-base state was normal, the urine K+ concentration was low, and the transtubular K+ concentration gradient (TTKG) was + excretion in the presence of hypokalaemia, and a TTKG of close to 7. With respect to therapy, much less K+ was given to patients with HPP, yet 1:3 subsequently had a plasma K+ concentration that eventually exceeded 5.0 mmol/l. Using plasma acid-base status, phosphate and K+ excretion parameters allows a presumptive diagnosis of HPP with more confidence in the emergency room.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 11259688
AN - SCOPUS:0035079089
VL - 94
SP - 133
EP - 139
JO - QJM - Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians
JF - QJM - Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians
SN - 1460-2725
IS - 3
ER -