Sangiorgi G B, Di Sciacca A, Pardo A
Age Ageing. 1979 Aug;8(3):190-5. doi: 10.1093/ageing/8.3.190.
Depletion of potassium is common in old people and is due to abnormal urinary excretion (misuse of diuretics, chronic pyelonephritis), to increased faecal elimination (misuse of laxatives, chronic diarrhoea) or to inadequate dietary intake. In a series of 90 elderly patients whose potassium status was investigated, the main manifestations of potassium deplition were weakness, increased sensitivity to digitials, impaired glucose tolerance and mental confusion. Potassium depletion can be most easily demonstrated by measurement of red-cell potassium levels; this method provides a valuable indication of the intracellular potassium content.
钾缺乏在老年人中很常见，其原因是尿排泄异常（利尿剂使用不当、慢性肾盂肾炎）、粪便排泄增加（泻药使用不当、慢性腹泻）或饮食摄入不足。在对90名老年患者的钾状况进行调查的系列研究中，钾缺乏的主要表现为虚弱、对洋地黄类药物敏感性增加、葡萄糖耐量受损和精神错乱。通过测量红细胞钾水平最容易证实钾缺乏；该方法可有效指示细胞内钾含量。
