TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2007//
TI  - Hypokalaemia following paracetamol overdose in two teenage girls
JO  - Annals of clinical biochemistry
A1  - Godber, Ian M.
A1  - Jarvis, Sarah J.
A1  - Maguire, Donogh
SP  - 403
EP  - 405
VL  - 44
IS  - Pt 4
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0004-5632
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/000456307780945615
ID  - ref1
ER  -