Postoperative Potassium Deficit and Metabolic Alkalosis

Abstract

POSTOPERATIVE apathy, lethargy, anorexia, weakness, abdominal distention and hypochloremia constitute a syndrome that has been described by such terms as "pancreatic asthenia"¹ and "la maladie post-opératoire."² It has been noted that these poorly understood symptoms, together with hypochloremia and alkalosis, develop in certain patients after major surgical operations in spite of the administration of glucose solutions and adequate or massive amounts of sodium chloride.^{3 , 4} Both symptoms and electrolyte changes were observed to improve, however, as soon as these patients began to eat. Whipple⁵ has reported unexplained deaths following surgery of the biliary tract and pancreas in patients who showed marked . . .