Hyperkalemia affects the myocardial tissue
producing electrocardiographic abnormalities,
such as prolongation of the P-R interval, tall
peaked T waves, a reduction in the amplitude
and an increase in the duration of P wave, and
atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, including
variable degree heart blocks. Elderly patients
are particularly predisposed to developing
hyperkalemia and the associated abnormalities
due to an age-related reduction in
glomerular filtration rate and pre-existing
medical problems. Therefore, the impact of
aging on potassium homeostasis must be
taken into consideration, and preventive
measures, such as early recognition of possible
hyperkalemia in the geriatric population
treated with certain medications or supplements
must be investigated. The threshold for
cardiac arrhythmias in the elderly can be
lower than the general population. We report 3
unusual cases of mild hyperkalemia in elderly
patients presenting with hypotension, syncope
and variable degree heart blocks which
resolved spontaneously with the correction of
hyperkalemia.
Elderly patients, hyperkalemia, renal failure, syncope, heart block.
Emad Aziz, Coordinator ACAP Program, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 1111 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025, USA. E-mail: EA2168@columbia.edu
2011-05-18T00:00:00
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