Hyperkalemia history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Hyperkalemia (AE) or Hyperkalaemia (BE) is an elevated blood level (above 5.0 mmol/L) of the electrolyte potassium. The prefix hyper- means high (contrast with hypo-, meaning low). The middle kal refers to kalium, which is Latin for potassium. The end portion of the word, -emia, means "in the blood". Extreme degrees of hyperkalemia are considered a medical emergency due to the risk of potentially fatal arrhythmias.
History and Symptoms
Symptoms are fairly nonspecific, and generally include malaise, palpitations and muscle weakness; mild breathlessness may indicate metabolic acidosis, one of the settings in which hyperkalemia may occur. Often, however, the problem is detected during screening blood tests for a medical disorder, or it only comes to medical attention after complications have developed, such as cardiac arrhythmia or sudden death.
During the medical history taking, a doctor will dwell on kidney disease and medication use (see below), as these are the main causes. The combination of abdominal pain, hypoglycemia and hyperpigmentation, often in the context of a history of other autoimmune disorders, may be signs of Addison's disease, itself a medical emergency.
References
Template:Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic pathology