@article{ref1,
title="Hypokalaemia following paracetamol overdose in two teenage girls",
journal="Annals of clinical biochemistry",
year="2007",
author="Godber, Ian M. and Jarvis, Sarah J. and Maguire, Donogh",
volume="44",
number="Pt 4",
pages="403-405",
abstract="We report on two teenage girls presenting following significant paracetamol overdoses (>28 g paracetamol). Both presented within 4 h of the overdose and both were treated with N-acetylcysteine, in accordance with the National Poisons Information Service protocol. Within 8 h of presentation both had developed significant hypokalaemia with serum potassium concentrations <3.0 mmol/L and were treated with intravenous potassium chloride. Potassium concentrations returned to within reference limits (>3.5 mmol/L) after commencing potassium chloride supplementation. An audit of potassium concentrations in 254 patients presenting with significant paracetamol overdose (paracetamol >0.5 mmol/L) admitted through four A&E departments in the West of Scotland showed a significant decline in mean serum potassium from 3.9 mmol/L on admission to 3.6 mmol/L (P = <0.001) over the next 36 h. The mechanism for this hypokalaemia in these two individuals is unclear, however regular monitoring of potassium is advocated in such patients during their initial treatment.   <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0004-5632",
doi="10.1258/000456307780945615",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/000456307780945615"
}