Ventricular fibrillation due to severe hypokalemia induced by steroid treatment in a patient with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.
We report a 25-year-old Japanese man with ventricular fibrillation associated with severe hypokalemia. He developed arm and leg paralysis. He had received 2 g of methylprednisolone because thoracic epidural hematoma had been suspected in another hospital. His serum potassium was 0.8 mEq/l on arrival at our hospital. Half an hour after arrival ventricular fibrillation occurred. Treatment with electric defibrillation 8 times was successful. Afterward Graves' disease was diagnosed, therefore, his clinical symptom was diagnosed as thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. We considered that the unusual condition of hyperthyroid-related hypokalemia worsened by steroid therapy induced the ventricular fibrillation.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Shimotuga-gun.
Yasushi
Y
Miyashita
Tsuyoshi
T
Monden
Kayo
K
Yamamoto
Mihoko
M
Matsumura
Nobuaki
N
Kawagoe
Chigusa
C
Iwata
Nobuyuki
N
Banba
Yoshiyuki
Y
Hattori
Kikuo
K
Kasai
D000328:Adult; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications*; D020514:Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone