@article{ref1,
title="High prevalence of hypokalemia after acute acetaminophen overdose: impact of psychiatric illness",
journal="Human and experimental toxicology",
year="2010",
author="Zyoud, Sa'ed H. and Awang, Rahmat and Syed Sulaiman, Syed Azhar and Al-Jabi, Samah W.",
volume="29",
number="9",
pages="773-778",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Hypokalemia is not an isolated disease but an associated finding in a number of different diseases. It is also a commonly neglected condition among patients with acute acetaminophen overdose. OBJECTIVES: This study intended to determine the prevalence of hypokalemia and its clinical correlates in acute psychiatric illness among hypokalemic and normokalemic patients after acetaminophen overdose. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of hospital admissions for acute acetaminophen overdose conducted over a period of 5 years from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008. Demographic data and different types of psychiatric illness were compared between hypokalemic and normokalemic patients. Hypokalemia was predefined by a serum concentration <3.5 mmol/L. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 15 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty patients out of 305 admissions were studied. Hypokalemia was found in 63.6% of patients with a higher prevalence in the presence of psychiatric illness (67.7%). Hypokalemic patients were significantly associated with the presence of major depression (p = .04), adjustment disorder (p < .001), anxiety (p = .01), and suicidal attempts (p = .04). CONCLUSION: Hypokalemia was common among patients with psychiatric illness and acute acetaminophen overdose.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0960-3271",
doi="10.1177/0960327110361759",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0960327110361759"
}