Recurrent life-threatening hyperkalemia without typical electrocardiographic changes

Himad K Khattak; Shahram Khalid; Kamran Manzoor; Phyllis K Stein

doi:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2013.07.012

Recurrent life-threatening hyperkalemia without typical electrocardiographic changes

J Electrocardiol. 2014 Jan-Feb;47(1):95-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2013.07.012. Epub 2013 Aug 21.

Authors

Himad K Khattak¹, Shahram Khalid², Kamran Manzoor³, Phyllis K Stein⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: himadk@yahoo.com.
² Department of Neurology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
³ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.
⁴ Division of Cardiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.

PMID: 23973093
DOI: 10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2013.07.012

Abstract

Hyperkalemia is generally associated with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes and these changes have been used to follow the effects of high serum potassium (K+) levels on the heart. It is known that chronic renal impairment may diminish the toxic effects of hyperkalemia on ECG abnormality formation. (1-3) Here, we report a case of recurrent severe hyperkalemia without any significant ECG changes in a patient with normal baseline renal function.

Keywords: ECG changes; Hyperkalemia; Serum potassium level.

MeSH terms

Aged, 80 and over
Arrhythmias, Cardiac / diagnosis*
Arrhythmias, Cardiac / etiology*
Critical Illness
Electrocardiography / methods*
Female
Humans
Hyperkalemia / complications*
Hyperkalemia / diagnosis*
Kidney Diseases / diagnosis*
Kidney Diseases / etiology*
Recurrence