title: Osmotic demyelination syndrome following slow correction of hyponatremia: Possible role of hypokalemia.
abstract: A 47-year-old male presented with hyponatremia that was corrected slowly as per the recommended guidelines. The patient improved initially but went on to develop a quadriparesis with a locked-in state due to a central as well as extrapontine myelinolysis and subsequently succumbed to an intercurrent infective illness. The patient had associated hypokalemia. Hyponatremia can result in central pontine myelinolysis even when the electrolyte disorder is treated slowly, and the concomitant hypokalemia seems to play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of the neurological disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine, SheriKashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Parvaiz A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Koul
authors.forename: Umar Hafiz
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Rafi A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Sanaullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Abdul Baseer
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Qadri
authors.forename: Burhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Feroze
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Sajjad R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bazaz
keywords: Electrolyte disturbances; hypokalemia; hyponatremia; locked-in state