title: Hypokalemia-induced pseudoischemic electrocardiographic changes and quadriplegia.
abstract: Hypokalemia is a common biochemical abnormality. Severe hypokalemia can produce cardiac rhythm alterations and neurologic manifestations. Early detection and treatment allow clinician to prevent morbidity and mortality from cardiac arrhythmias and respiratory failure. Here, we describe a case of severe hypokalemia inducing pseudoischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations and quadriplegia, in a patient affected by chronic diarrhea. Electrocardiographic alterations and neurologic manifestations completely disappeared after potassium replacement; however, prolonged potassium supplementation was required to achieve the normalization of plasmatic potassium levels. Consecutive figures show ECG improvement until normalization of ECG findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.mirijello@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirijello
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rinninella
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Leva
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Landolfi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology*