Journal article
An Easily Missed Cause of Hypokalemia and Paralysis: Chronic Glue-Sniffing
Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol.27(1), pp.037-040
02/2007
DOI: 10.6136/JMS.2007.27(1).037
Abstract
Chronic glue-sniffing for illegal recreation is a little-recognized but reversible cause of hypokalemia and paralysis. We report a case of a 28-year-old obese Chinese female who suffered from repetitive inability to ambulate upon waking in the morning. She presented to the emergency department with proximal muscle weakness and symmetrical areflexia of all four limbs. The major biochemical abnormalities were profound hypokalemia (1.8 mmol/L) with elevated urinary K+ excretion (urine K+ concentration ÷ urine creatinine concentration = 5.7 mmol/mmol) and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis (pH 7.25; HCO3 -, 14.0 mmol/L; Cl-, 112 mmol/L). A negative urinary anion gap and high urinary ammonium excretion suggested that renal tubular acidosis was not present. When questioned about her drug history, the patient admitted to habitual daily glue-sniffing for six months. After cessation of glue-sniffing and supplementation with a large quantity of potassium chloride (860 mmol), her muscle strength returned and her serum K+ concentration increased to 4.2 mmol/L without further recurrence. Chronic glue-sniffing should be considered when patients present with unexplained hypokalemic paralysis.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- An Easily Missed Cause of Hypokalemia and Paralysis: Chronic Glue-Sniffing
- Creators
- Shih-En TangChih-Jen ChengShih-Hua Lin
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol.27(1), pp.037-040
- Publisher
- 國防醫學院
- DOI
- 10.6136/JMS.2007.27(1).037
- ISSN
- 1011-4564
- Language
- Chinese
- Date published
- 02/2007
- Academic Unit
- Nephrology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984383903902771
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