Clinical evaluation of hypokalemia in anorexia nervosa.
The serum and urinary levels of electrolytes were measured in 25 patients with anorexia nervosa admitted to this hospital. Seven (28%) of these patients vomited, usually surreptitiously. Hypokalemia was detected in 5 (20%) of these patients, all among those who vomited. The urinary chloride/sodium ratios were low in the patients who vomited, and did not overlap the values in patients who did not vomit, indicating that this ratio was a good indication of vomiting. These results suggested that stopping vomiting is most important for correcting hypokalemia.
Koh
E
E
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Onishi
T
T
Morimoto
S
S
Imanaka
S
S
Nakagawa
H
H
Ogihara
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism
D002712:Chlorides; D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D011188:Potassium