HYPOKALEMIA

Course overview

ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ELECTROLYTE DISTURBANCES SEEN IN CLINICAL PRACTICE IS HYPOKALEMIA. HYPOKALEMIA IS MORE PREVALENT THAN HYPERKALEMIA, AND MOST CASES ARE MILD. SEVERITY IS CATEGORIZED AS MILD WHEN THE SERUM POTASSIUM LEVEL IS 3 TO 3.4 MMOL/L, MODERATE WHEN THE SERUM POTASSIUM LEVEL IS 2.5 TO 3 MMOL/L, AND SEVERE WHEN THE SERUM POTASSIUM LEVEL IS LESS THAN 2.5 MMOL/L. VALUES OBTAINED FROM PLASMA AND SERUM MAY DIFFER. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE SAMPLING SOURCE. COMPARED TO PLASMA LEVELS, SERUM LEVELS ARE USUALLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER DUE TO DELAYS IN PROCESSING AND/OR THE EFFECT OF CLOTTING. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HYPOKALEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EDUCATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION ABOUT FOLLOW UP CARE.