BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Hyperkalemia is one of the few potentially lethal electrolyte disturbances. Prompt recognition and expeditious treatment of severe hyperkalemia are expected to save lives. This review is intended to provide intensivists and other interested clinicians with an understanding of the pathophysiology that underlies hyperkalemia, and a rational approach to its management. ...

OBJECTIVES Hyperkalemia is an electrolyte disorder that may occur during the first few months after a renal transplant, in patients undergoing cyclosporine immunosuppression. We present our experience with cyclosporine-associated hyperkalemia in living-donor renal transplant recipients, with isolated clinically relevant hyperkalemia soon after surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We report 4 living...

Hyperkalemia is common in patients with end-stage renal disease, and may result in serious electrocardiographic abnormalities. Dialysis is the definitive treatment of hyperkalemia in these patients. Intravenous calcium is used to stabilize the myocardium. Intravenous insulin and nebulized albuterol lower serum potassium acutely, by shifting it into the cells. Despite their widespread use, neith...

OBJECTIVE Unilateral adrenalectomy is the first-line treatment for aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA). Hyperkalemia after adrenalectomy because of contralateral zona glomerulosa insufficiency has been reported. We investigated clinical risk factors to predict postoperative hyperkalemia in patients with APA undergoing adrenalectomy. DESIGN AND METHODS This study was conducted by retrospectiv...

In this article, we document a conclusive case of nebivolol-induced hyperkalemia for the first time in the known medical literature. Hyperkalemia is associated with serious conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Nebivolol was not known to cause hyperkalemia, and this event is not listed in its summary of product characteristics (SmPC). For older beta blockers, hyperkal...

A serious hazard to patients during orthotopic liver transplantation is hyperkalemia. Although the most frequent and hazardous hyperkalemia occurs immediately after reperfusion of the newly transplanted liver, morbid hyperkalemia could happen in the other phases during orthotopic liver transplantation. However, pre-anhepatic hyperkalemia during orthotopic liver transplantation is rare. This rep...

Hyperkalemia is a common and life-threatening complication frequently seen in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury. Indeed, acute hyperkalemia is one of the most common reasons for patients requiring emergency dialysis [1]. However, hyperkalemia does not affect all patients in the same manner. Some of them persistently exhib...

Hyperkalemia is a common adverse effect of treatment for heart failure and is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The cardiac manifestations of hyperkalemia include various electrocardiogram changes. We describe a case of a 74-year-old woman with heart failure and permanent atrial fibrillation who reverted to normal sinus rhythm during recovery from hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia is a commonly encountered electrolyte abnormality that can significantly alter normal cardiac conduction. Potentially lethal dysrhythmias associated with hyperkalemia include complete heart block and Mobitz Type II second-degree AV block. We report a case of trifascicular block, due to hyperkalemia. The patient's symptoms and electrocardiogram (ECG) evidence of trifascicular block ...