Authors : Azin Alizadehasl , Farnaz Sepasi , Rasoul Azarfarin and Shamsi Ghaffari
Abstract: Serum potassium concentration was determined in 500 patients with Acute anterior Myocardial Infarction (AMI) on admission to Coronary Care Unit (CCU), within 12 h of onset of symptoms, at Madani heart center (Tabriz-Iran). About 12.2% of the overall patients studied, had significant hypokalemia (Serum Potassium level less than or equal to 3.5 mmol Lit 1) while, hypokalemia was recorded in 15.4% of the patients associated with previous diuretic treatment. Hypokalemia was very rare in our patients, it was determined that diabetics have a higher level of potassium than nondiabetics (4.31 mmol Lit 1 versus 4.02 mmol Lit 1). Considering the baseline characteristics and riskfactors between two study groups (Hypokalemia and Normokalemia) similar, the incidence of dysrrhythmias occurring during the first 12 h was referred to the initial serum potassium level. Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) was found in 29.1% of patients with hypokalemia as compared to 17.8% in normokalemic patients. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) were significantly more frequent in the hypokalemic (17.1 and 21.3%) than in the normokalemic patients (8.6 and 13.2%), although intraventricular and atrioventricular blocks were similar in the 2 groups. Also, total mortality was more frequent in hypokalemic group than normokalemic group (20.6% versus 16.9%). Thus, hypokalemia was an important predictor of malignant arrhythmias, mortality and poor outcome in AMI patients. A point of value that we found is lower incidence of hypokalemia in diabetic patients post AMI.
Azin Alizadehasl , Farnaz Sepasi , Rasoul Azarfarin and Shamsi Ghaffari , 2008. Hypokalemia, Arrhythmias and Early Outcomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 3: 1130-1132.