Disease In Focus: Hypokalemia

In light of the sudden and unexpected demise of a colleague, I am dedicating this issue of Disease in Focus to highlight Hypokalemia, a fatal condition that many of us, including me, are unfamiliar with.

Hypokalemia or Hypokalaemia is a low level of potassium in the bloodstream. It may not look or sound as threatening as other illnesses but the death of my officemate 2 days ago proves that people should take this more seriously as it can lead to cardiac arrest.

To understand the severity of this deficiency, let's find out what is the role of potassium in our body. Potassium is a mineral that is vital for nerve and muscle functions especially in the heart. Potassium which is also an electrolyte, send signals to cells in our body to function properly. It also helps our muscles contract, regulates fluids and mineral balance, and helps maintain normal blood pressure. With low potassium, our heart may not pump effectively resulting in loss of blood flow throughout the body.

_{Potassium pearls, Wikimedia}

About 98 percent of potassium in our body is found inside our cells and the remaining 2 percent is in extracellular fluid including the blood. Normal potassium level is between 3.5 and 5.0 mmol/L (3.5 and 5.0 mEq/L). Anything below this level is hypokalemia. Kidney regulates the balance of potassium in our body by removing excess into the urine.

Potassium deficiency can be a sign or side effect of other underlying conditions such as chronic kidney disease, diabetic ketoacidosis, Bartter syndrome, Gitelman syndrome, liddle syndrome and Cushing syndrome.

Other cuases of hypokalemia include inadequate potassium intake, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive use of laxative, excessive sweating, diuretics and use of some antibiotics.

Symptoms

Although mild hypokalemia often shows no signs the most common symptoms of hypokalemia is weakness, and fatigue, constipation, muscle cramps, and palpitations. Severe cases of potassium deficiency may cause muscle pain, tremor, flaccid paralysis, and hyporeflexia. Patient may also have nausea, numbness of the arms and legs, and low blood pressure that may result to fainting.
The most notable symptoms that my colleague experience before he went home 2 days ago was the numbing of his legs and abnormal heart rate. This is due to the fact that Potassium is responsible for muscle contractions. Since there is no enough potassium, our heart will not be able to pump properly reducing blood flow througout the body.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Hypokalemia can be diagnosed through blood test to check potassium level, kidney function, glucose, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous if an electrolyte imbalance is suspected. A doctor can order ECG to check your heartbeat for abnormalities.

A patient diagnosed with hypokalemia requires hospitalization because they require constant heart monitoring to make sure that their heart rythm is normal. The first step in treatment is to identify underlying cause so proper therapy can be prescribed. Restoring potassium levels through potassium replacement will be done intravenously for severe cases. People with mild symptoms are given potassium orally in liquid or pill form.

Sadly, in case of my colleague, he was sent home by the hospital staff after his checkup. He later died in his home after suffering cardiac arrest.

Prevention

One major way to prevent potassium deficiency is to to consume potassium rich food including avocados, bananas, figs, kiwi, orange, spinach, tomatoes, milk, peas and beans, peanut butter and bran. People taking diuretics and other medications are advised to monitor their electrolyte levels.

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Previously on Disease in Focus:
Influenza
Listeriosis
Scarlet Fever
Norovirus
Sepsis
Gonorrhea

_{Disclaimer: Disease in Focus is written to provide general information but should not be used as basis for diagnosis and treatment. If you have symptoms of any disease discussed here, please seek advice from medical professionals.}

_{Sources: Wikipedia | WebMD | Mayo Clinic | HealthLine |}

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