Epidemiology

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Etiology

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• Decreased intake
  • Starvation, anorexia
• Intracellular translocation
  • Insulin (eg, treatment of DKA, refeeding syndrome)
  • β-adrenergic activity
    • Pharmacologic (eg, albuterol, dobutamine)
    • Stress-induced (eg, alcohol withdrawal, acute MI)
      • Catecholamine (eg, norepinephrine, epinephrine) release. Epinephrine activates the beta-2 receptor, leading to increased activity of the sodium-potassium ATPase pump and the sodium-potassium-2-chloride cotransporter, both of which transport potassium intracellularly.
  • Alkalosis (respiratory or metabolic)
  • ↑ Cell reproduction (eg, acute myeloid leukemia, GM-CSF)
• Gastrointestinal loss
  • Diarrhea, vomiting, hyperaldosteronism
• Urinary loss
  • Hyperaldosteronism, diuretics, RTA types 1 and 2
• Sweat loss
  • Extreme exercise in hot climate

Pathophysiology

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• ↑ Extracellular K+concentration → resting membrane potential becomes less negative than -90 mV → ↑ excitability

Clinical features

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Diagnostics

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Treatment

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