title: Distribution of potassium levels on admission for CPR--severe hypokalaemia with dysmorphophobic eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence and cause of severe hypokalaemia in patients administered for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for non-traumatic cardiac arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective database review in the setting of a University hospital on 281 consecutive adult patients admitted to emergency admission, cardiac catheterization laboratory or intensive care units for resuscitation from non-traumatic cardiac arrest. The first available potassium value was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean potassium level was 3.9 ± 0.9 mmol/l and thus within the reference range of 3.5-5.0 mmol/l, but the overall prevalence of hypokalaemia was high (31.0%). Moderate rather than severe hypokalaemia was typically observed, with 95% of patients exhibiting potassium levels above 2.7 mmol/l. Among those six patients with extreme hypokalaemia defined as a potassium levels below the 2.5 percentile, two adult females were identified to suffer from previously untreated body scheme disorder with furosemide abuse (potassium 1.1 and 1.4 mmol/l). Another patient (potassium 2.1 mmol/l) suffered from poorly controlled bulimia nervosa and acute diarrhoea due to GI infection and one (potassium 2.4 mmol/l) from untreated bulimic anorexia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to moderately reduced potassium which is a frequent finding in adult patients at the time of admission for non-traumatic cardiac arrest, severe hypokalaemia is uncommon. The high prevalence of patients with body dysmorphophobic eating disorders in this group underscores accidental self-induced hypokalaemia may evolve as an important differential diagnosis in cardiac arrest in young female patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Germany. tseidler@web.de
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seidler
authors.forename: Claudius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacobshagen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasenfuss
authors.forename: Reiner M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Waeschle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium