title: Health status and the preoperative change in serum potassium concentration.
abstract: When evaluating preanaesthetic abnormal serum potassium (S-K) levels, the anaesthetist often relies upon blood tests performed on admission to hospital 1 or more days prior to surgery. However, the S-K is often altered between admission to hospital and the induction of anaesthesia. In this study, we examined the effects of health status and medication on the preoperative change in S-K concentration in 150 unselected elderly men awaiting urological operations. Oral daily medication was not given preoperatively on the day of surgery. One third of the patients showed a change of 0.4 mmol/l or more (range -1.1 to +1.2), with an increase as common as a decrease. Those on treatment with calcium-channel blockers or diuretics showed an increase in the S-K concentration in the preoperative period, while patients using oral antidiabetics showed a decrease. The use of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists was not a significant predictor of the change in S-K concentration. In conclusion, we found that alterations in serum potassium were common prior to surgery, but only a small fraction of this variance could be accounted for by health status and medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Löfgren
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nordin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000758:Anesthesia; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D004194:Disease; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004358:Drug Therapy; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004232:Diuretics; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D003404:Creatinine; D011188:Potassium