What is it?
Hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the blood).
- Hypokalemia is generally defined as a serum potassium level of less than 3.5 mEq/L (3.5 mmol/L).
- Moderate hypokalemia is a serum level of 2.5-3.0 mEq/L,
- Severe hypokalemia is a level of less than 2.5 mEq/L
- It is mainly caused when one has increased urination (disorders causing that), kidney disorders and/or eating disorders.
Diagnosis Tests
ECG tests, urine analysis and test for ’causes’ listed below are assessed to determine the cause of low potassium levels.
- If the urine potassium level is less than 20 mEq/L, consider the following:
- Diarrhoea and use of laxatives
- Diet or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) contents
- The use of insulin, excessive bicarbonate supplements, and episodic weakness
- If the urine potassium level is higher than 40 mEq/L, consider diuretics. If diuretic use has been excluded, measure arterial blood gases (ABG) and determine the acid-base balance. Alkalosis suggests one of the following:
- A normal level of potassium is 3.6–5.2 millimoles per litre (mmol/L)and anything below 2.5 mmol/L is life-threateningly low.
MayoClinic
Conditions/disease causing hypokalaemia
Treatments
- Dilution due to IV fluid administration
Syndromes
- Bartter’s syndrome/Gitelman syndrome (affect kidney,.ear,.muscles)
- East syndrome
- Fanconi syndrome
- Gullner syndrome-linkage to the HLA-A and HLA-B genes – family history of hypokalaemia where one has high renin levels and low potassium levels.
- Liddle syndrome
- Long QT syndrome
- SeSAME syndrome- Seizures, sensorineural deafness, ataxia, mental retardation, and electrolyte imbalance -mutations in the KCNJ10 gene features and symptoms include: mainly short stature, salt craving with polydipsia, renal potassium and sodium wasting, and polyuria.
Medication
Vitamins, herbals and minerals
Illicit drugs
Signs and symptoms of deficiency
- Muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness
- Muscle twitching
- Muscle weakness
- Tiredness
- Constant hiccups
- Constipation
- Abnormal heart rhythm
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Medical Emergency Condition
And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:
- Heart attack
- Long QT syndrome
- Severe slow beating of the heart
- Breathing difficulties with severe muscle cramps and/or muscle paralysis (numb or can’t feel muscles/muscles not working) and/or chest pain.
- Rhabdomyolysis (Crush syndrome)
- Psychosis (confusion)
- Delirium -(medical emergency)
- Problem with attention (This could mean the person is inattentive and does not focus or that he or she can focus on tasks but at the expense of all else — failure to shift attention.)
- Disorganised thinking (such as not being able to remember things or being confused)
- Altered level of consciousness (hyper-alertness and on edge, or sluggish, drowsy or withdrawn)
- Change is sudden and/or does it fluctuate over hours or days
- Hallucinations
- Depression (suicidal) and or showing symptoms above
This condition can lead to complications of:
- Cardiovascular disease in particular development of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias
- Patients very vulnerable are:
-
Chronic heart failure
-
Underlying ischemic heart disease/acute myocardial ischemia
-
Aggressive therapy for hyperglycemia, such as with diabetic ketoacidosis
-
Digitalis therapy
-
Treatment with class III antiarrhythmic drugs (eg, dofetilide)
-
Methadone therapy
-
Conn syndrome
- Those who have diuretics (potassium levels should always be monitored)
- Muscle weakness, depression of the deep-tendon reflexes, and even flaccid paralysis can complicate hypokalemia.
- Rhabdomyolysis specially with vigorous exercise
- Kidney complication
- Gastrointestinal complications:
- Hypokalemia decreases gut motility, which can lead to or exacerbate an ileus (biuld up and or blockage of food in the intestine).
- Liver cirrhosis
- Metabolic complication
- Hypokalemia has a dual effect on glucose regulation by decreasing insulin release and peripheral insulin sensitivity.
- Clinical evidence suggests that the hypokalemic effect of thiazide is the causative factor in thiazide-associated diabetes mellitus.
The following foods have a high potassium level content:
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Bran
- Cod
- Beans and peas
- Beef
- Figs
- Kiwi
- Milk
- Nuts
- Oranges
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Milk
- Peanut butter
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Potassium deficiency in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
- NHS
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- Medscape
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- Pharmaceutical Journal
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- Healthline
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- Medical News Today
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- WebMD
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- National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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- Verywell Health
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