Groth Kristian A, Kelsen Jens, Løfgren Bo
Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
J Med Case Rep. 2012 Mar 9;6:80. doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-6-80.
We present a case of cardiac arrest due to hypokalemia caused by lymphocytic colitis.
A 69-year-old Caucasian man presented four months prior to a cardiac arrest with watery diarrhea and was diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis. Our patient experienced a witnessed cardiac arrest at his general practitioner's surgery. Two physicians and the emergency medical services resuscitated our patient for one hour and four minutes before arriving at our university hospital. Our patient was defibrillated 16 times due to the recurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. An arterial blood sample revealed a potassium level of 2.0 mmol/L (reference range: 3.5 to 4.6 mmol/L) and pH 6.86 (reference range: pH 7.37 to 7.45). As the potassium level was corrected, the propensity for ventricular tachyarrhythmias ceased. Our patient recovered from his cardiac arrest without any neurological deficit. Further tests and examinations revealed no other reason for the cardiac arrest.
Diarrhea can cause life-threatening situations due to the excretion of potassium, ultimately causing cardiac arrest due to hypokalemia. Physicians treating patients with severe diarrhea should consider monitoring their electrolyte levels.
我们报告一例因淋巴细胞性结肠炎导致低钾血症而引发心脏骤停的病例。
一名69岁的白种男性在心脏骤停前四个月出现水样腹泻，被诊断为淋巴细胞性结肠炎。我们的患者在其全科医生诊所发生了目击性心脏骤停。两名医生和紧急医疗服务人员在将患者送达我们大学医院之前对其进行了1小时4分钟的复苏。由于室性快速心律失常的复发，患者接受了16次除颤。一份动脉血样本显示血钾水平为2.0 mmol/L（参考范围：3.5至4.6 mmol/L），pH值为6.86（参考范围：pH 7.37至7.45）。随着血钾水平得到纠正，室性快速心律失常的倾向消失。我们的患者从心脏骤停中康复，没有任何神经功能缺损。进一步的检查未发现心脏骤停的其他原因。
腹泻可因钾的排泄导致危及生命的情况，最终因低钾血症引发心脏骤停。治疗严重腹泻患者的医生应考虑监测其电解质水平。
