We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Life-Threatening Dyskalaemia after Barbiturate Coma Therapy: The Strategy of Management.
- Authors
YEAP Boon Tat; WAN HASSAN, Wan Mohd Nazaruddin; TING Yung Chuen; GHANI, Abdul Rahman Izaini
- Abstract
Barbiturate coma therapy (BCT) is a treatment option that is used for refractory intracranial hypertension after all other options have been exhausted. Although BCT is a brain protection treatment, it also has several side effects such as hypotension, hepatic dysfunction, renal dysfunction, respiratory complications and electrolyte imbalances. One less concerning but potentially life-threatening complication of BCT is dyskalaemia. This complication could present as severe refractory hypokalaemia during the therapy with subsequent rebound hyperkalaemia after cessation of the therapy. Judicious potassium replacement during severe refractory hypokalaemia and gradual cessation of the therapy to prevent rebound hyperkalaemia are recommended strategies to deal with this complication, based on previous case series and reports. In this case report, we show that these strategies were applicable in improving severe hypokalaemia and preventing sudden, life-threatening rebound hyperkalaemia. However, even with use of these strategies, BCT patients could still present with mild, asymptomatic hyperkalaemia.
- Subjects
MALAYSIA; HYPOKALEMIA; BARBITURATES; COMA; INTRACRANIAL hypertension; POTASSIUM; HYPERKALEMIA; PREVENTION; DIAGNOSIS
- Publication
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2017, Vol 24, Issue 2, p100
- ISSN
1394-195X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.21315/mjms2017.24.2.13