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Low potassium is caused by increased excretion of potassium, decreased consumption of potassium rich foods, movement of potassium into the cells, or certain endocrine diseases. [3] Excretion is the most common cause of hypokalemia and can be caused by diuretic use, metabolic acidosis , diabetic ketoacidosis , hyperaldosteronism , and renal ...
Hypokalemia is a low level of potassium (K +) in the blood serum. [1] Mild low potassium does not typically cause symptoms. [3] Symptoms may include feeling tired, leg cramps, weakness, and constipation. [1] Low potassium also increases the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm, which is often too slow and can cause cardiac arrest. [1] [3]
Life span is expected to be normal, [12] but attacks can drop potassium to levels low enough to cause life-threatening breathing problems or heart arrhythmia. Patients often report muscle pain and cognitive problems during attacks.
Also of note is that potassium levels do not have to range outside of normal limits to cause serious, even life-threatening paralysis. These diseases are not the same as having a very low level of potassium (hypokalemia) or high potassium (hyperkalemia) and must not be treated as such. The total body store of potassium is usually normal; it is ...
Hypokalemia (a decreased potassium level in the blood) is usually present during attacks. The condition may be life-threatening if weakness of the breathing muscles leads to respiratory failure, or if the low potassium levels lead to abnormal heart rhythms. [1] [2] If untreated, it is typically recurrent in nature. [1]
Additional factors that may contribute to cardiac arrest include major blood loss, lack of oxygen, electrolyte disturbance (such as very low potassium), electrical injury, and intense physical exercise. [16] Cardiac arrest is diagnosed by the inability to find a pulse in an unresponsive patient.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. [1] Signs and symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, deep gasping breathing, increased urination, weakness, confusion and occasionally loss of consciousness. [1]
Anatomy of a Nephron; functional unit of the kidney [1]. Gitelman syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive kidney tubule disorder characterized by low blood levels of potassium and magnesium, decreased excretion of calcium in the urine, and elevated blood pH. [2]