Macías GEE, García FLFR

Language: Spanish
References: 11
Page: 3-7
PDF size: 114.80 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: This hydroelectrolitic disorder with potassium plasmatic levels lower than 3.5 mEq/L has both high incidence and frequency within hospitalized patients, who had higher risk of cardiac, arterial, cerebral vascular and renal disorders.
Objectives: To establish hypokalemia frequency in Hospital Angeles del Pedregal patients, and its most frequent causes and clinical manifestations alike.
Patients and methods: Prospective, longitudinal and observational study at Hospital Angeles del Pedregal since November 1 2006 to February 28 2007. Every patient with serum potassium level lower than 3.5 mE/L when admitted was included, excluding those admitted in pediatrics, gynecology and ambulatory surgery departments. Personal information, potassium serum level (selective membrane potentiometry), hypokalemia clinical signs, possible causes, medicines prescribed before and during hospitalization, and, if any, electrocardiographic study were collected.
Results: 186 out of 3,937 patients had hypokalemia (3.9%): 102 women (54.8%) and 84 men (45.1%), with an average age of 53.6 years (15-95). 52.1% asymptomatic. Most frequent symptom was weakness (75 patients, 40.3%). Most frequent causes were medicine usage (97 patients, 52.1%), and gastrointestinal loss (77, 41.3%), nine patients had no clear cause (4.8%). Sixty-six had electrocardiographic study (35.4%) and only 29 (42.4%) had no hypokalemic alteration. Most frequent electrocardiographic disorder was flat T waves (34.8% of hypokalemic patients).
Conclusions: Hypokalemia is a highly frequent disease at Hospital Angeles del Pedregal (mostly in women older than 50 years), main symptom was muscular weakness and most frequent cause was medicines administration (primarily steroids), diarrhea and flattening of T wave must be specially looked after.

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