Severe hypokalemia in hospitalized patients

Abstract

Profound hypokalemia was observed in 73 patients in a university teaching hospital over 3 yr. Compared to hospitalized subjects used as controls, the patients experienced a greater mortality and were substantially more likely to be female, but were not more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. Diuretic use appeared to precipitate profound hypokalemia infrequently, and the clinical situation was extremely complex. Over 10% of the patients with hypokalemia had acute myeloid leukemia, an incidence 22 times greater than that expected. Hypokalemia should be sought in all patients with this disease, since it is an avoidable cause of death. Further studies into the mechanism of hypokalemia are required to explain its striking preponderance in women.