SERUM POTASSIUM AND ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHS CHANGES IN ADRENALECTOMIZED DOGS MAINTAINED ON CORTISONE ACETATE1

Abstract

Adrenalectomized dogs can be maintained active, vigorous and free from insufficiency symptoms for long periods on a daily cortisone dosage of 0.93 mg./kg./day. This dosage is inadequate for keeping the serum electrolyte pattern normal. The serum Na and Cl decline to levels characteristic of adrenal insufficiency and the serum K becomes markedly elevated. The slow accumulation of serum K eventually becomes so great that the animals collapse and may die from cardiac failure unless promptly treated. Study of the ecg. of these animals reveals electrocardiographic abnormalities characteristic of hyperpotassemia. With few exceptions, increasing the daily cortisone dosage to 1.86 mg./kg./day corrects the serum electrolyte changes and cardiac deficiencies, and the ecg. becomes normal. Animals so treated have been maintained for 120 days solely on cortisone therapy.