Case Report: Inhaled salbutamol in the successful treatment of life-threatening acute hyperkalaemia in an anaesthetised horse
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Hyperkalaemia is an uncommon complication of general anaesthesia in healthy horses. This case report describes the occurrence of life-threatening acute hyperkalaemia in a 13-year-old, female French Trotter anaesthetised for experimental right and left atrial 3D electro-anatomical mapping. Intra-operative development of hyperkalaemia (7.55 mmol/L) (Ref. 3.00-4.00 mmol/L) with atrial standstill on ECG necessitated transvenous ventricular pacing while initial treatment with insulin and glucose was initiated. Plasma potassium levels continued to increase (8.00 mmol/L) prompting adjunctive treatment with 5 μg/kg of inhaled salbutamol and intravenous furosemide 0.93 mg/kg. Eight minutes after salbutamol administration, return of spontaneous atrial contraction was observed on echocardiography and plasma potassium concentration rapidly decreased on serial blood samples. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report documenting the use of inhaled salbutamol in the treatment of life-threatening acute hyperkalaemia in an anaesthetised horse.
Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Authors: Madelyn Rollet, Jana Flyps, Ingrid Vernemmen, Gunther van Loon, Stijn Schauvliege
Institution: Ghent University
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7124455711