Ventricular Fibrillation Due to Severe Hypokalemia Induced by Steroid Treatment in a Patient with Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis
Year: 2006
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: We report a 25-year-old Japanese man with ventricular fibrillation associated with severe hypokalemia. He developed arm and leg paralysis. He had received 2 g of methylprednisolone because thoracic epidural hematoma had been suspected in another hospital. His serum potassium was 0.8 mEq/l on arrival at our hospital. Half an hour after arrival ventricular fibrillation occurred. Treatment with electric defibrillation 8 times was successful. Afterward Graves' disease was diagnosed, therefore, his clinical symptom was diagnosed as thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. We considered that the unusual condition of hyperthyroid-related hypokalemia worsened by steroid therapy induced the ventricular fibrillation.
Source: Internal Medicine
Institutions: Dokkyo University, Dokkyo Medical University
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2004404513