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- Title
Hypokalemia in patients on hemodialysis - single center experience.
- Authors
Ćorić, Aida; Resić, Halima; Masnić, Fahrudin; Ajanović, Selma; Bećiragić, Amela; Avdić, Emir
- Abstract
Introduction: hypokalemia is a common electrolyte disorder presented in 20% of hospitalized patients. In dialysis patients, potassium<4.4, mmol/L is frequent finding while diuresis is maintained. It is very important to know the concentration of potassium in the dialysate due to the process of diffusion. Aim of the study is to evaluate prevalence of hypokalemia in patients on hemodialysis, in order to prevent complications (occurrence of malignant arrhythmias and increase mortality in dialysis) and introduce the appropriate therapy. Material and methods: out of total number of patients (n= 270) at our Clinic, in the period from December 2012 to June 2013 we found 25 diagnosed with hypokalemia. All patients were on chronic standard hemodialysis for four hours three times a week. All patients included in this study were analyzed by age, gender, duration of hemodialysis, serum potassium values before and after hemodialysis treatment, bicarbonate values before and after dialysis, residual diuresis, diuretics therapy, and values of serum magnesium with parenteral losses. Potassium values in the dialysate during dialysis was the same for all patients (potassium=2.0mmol/L). The retrospective study included two groups of patients on chronic standard hemodialysis treatment: experimental group (n=25), comprising patients with hypokalemia and control group (n=25), comprising patients without hypokalemia but with similar characteristics in terms of gender, age and duration of hemodialysis treatment. Results: the prevalence rate of hypokalemia was 9.3% or 93 cases per 1.000 dialysis patients. Out of total number of patients diagnosed with hypokalemia (n=25), eighteen had preserved diuresis, with an average of 500-1,000 ml/per day. Of these 18 patients six (33.3%) were using diuretics during the study. The mean age of patients was 61.1'}12.1 years in the experimental group and 57.9'}13.9 years in the control group, respectively. The median duration of hemodialysis treatment in the experimental group was 48 months (IQR=12 to 96 months) and 36 months (IQR=18 to 72 months) in the control group. Three patients in the experimental group had sinus tachycardia, with heart frequency .120/min. Mean level of serum magnesium in the experimental group was 0.95'}0.11 mmol/L and 1.08'}0.13mmol/L in the control group. Our study did not detect patients with hypomagnesemia, which could be considered as a cause for renal hypokalemia. Conclusion: hypokalemia was presented in 9.3% of patients on hemodialysis. Taking into account the total number of patients (n=270) we may conclude that hypokalemia was not a common electrolyte disorder at our Clinic. There were no recorded episodes of malignant arrhythmias and sudden deaths during the dialysis treatments.
- Subjects
HEMODIALYSIS; HYPOKALEMIA; ARRHYTHMIA; DIURESIS; DIAGNOSIS; PATIENTS
- Publication
Medical Journal / Medicinski Žurnal, 2014, Vol 20, Issue 4, p267
- ISSN
1512-5866
- Publication type
Article