Hypokalemia in patients with cough mixture abuse: a retrospective chart review.
BACKGROUND
In past 2 decades, nonmedical consumption of cough mixture has become a serious social problem in certain regions of China. Cough mixture abuse causes psychiatric symptoms. Moreover, there has been an increasing concern about the physical disorders associated with cough mixture abuse.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of hypokalemia related to cough mixture abuse between January 2009 and December 2012 was conducted in Guangzhou Brain Hospital, China.


RESULTS
The charts were reviewed for 34 subjects with cough mixture abuse. Seven of 34 cough mixture abusers (20.6%) presented hypokalemia, with symptoms ranged from mild to severe limb weakness. Hypokalemia in these patients reduced after normalization of potassium.


CONCLUSIONS
A high incidence of hypokalemia presents in cough mixture abusers. Cough mixture abuse might be one of the secondary causes of hypokalemia paralysis in young patients presenting to emergency departments.
From the Department of Neurology (DZ, YL, XR, YT, YP, QS), Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Neurology (QS), Zengcheng People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China; and Departments of Neurology (DZ) and Substance Abuse (YL), Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
Dong
D
Zheng
Yi
Y
Li
Yuping
Y
Liu
Xiaoming
X
Rong
Yamei
Y
Tang
Ying
Y
Peng
Qingyu
Q
Shen
D000328:Adult; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
D000996:Antitussive Agents