RT Journal
A1 Lawson DH, Henry DA, Lowe JM, Gray JB, Morgan H
T1 SEvere hypokalemia in hospitalized patients
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1979
FD September 1
VO 139
IS 9
SP 978
OP 980
DO 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630460022010
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630460022010
AB Profound hypokalemia was observed in 73 patients in a major university teaching hospital during a three-year period. When compared with hospitalized subjects used as controls, these patients experienced a greater mortality, were substantially more likely to be female, but were not more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. Use of a diuretic appeared to precipitate profound hypokalemia infrequently, and when it did, the clinical situation was extremely complex. Over 10% of the patients with hypokalemia had acute myeloid leukemia, an incidence 22 times greater than that expected. Hypokalemia should be sought in all patients with this disease, since it is an avoidable cause of death. Further studies into the mechanism of hypokalemia are required to explain its striking preponderance in women.(Arch Intern Med 139:978-980, 1979)