HYPERKALEMIA CAUSING SEVERE MUSCLE WEAKNESS IN A PATIENT WITH RENAL INSUFFICIENCY

Abstract

In individuals with renal insufficiency, hyperkalaemia is one of the most common electrolyte imbalances, whereas it is uncommon in healthy people. When potassium is given or combined with a potassium-sparing diuretic, it happens quickly. It usually does not produce any signs and symptoms and is identified with normal blood investigations. Hyperkalemia causes faulty heart conduction and muscle weakness, among other symptoms. Muscle weakness as a clinical manifestation, on the other hand, is infrequent in clinical practise. This could be due to the fact that cardiac symptoms frequently appear earlier than weakness of muscles, necessitating the implementation of suitable interventions even before potassium concentration reaches a level that causes weakness. We present a case in which a patient with renal insufficiency had acute weakness of muscles as a result of extreme hyperkalaemia that acquired fast recovery after potassium and potassium-sparing diuretic administration.

Keywords

• hyperkalemia
• muscle weakness
• paralysis: renal insufficiency
• potassium.