Hyperkalemia in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

HYPERKALEMIA is a frequent occurrence in hospitalized patients, with a reported incidence of 1.1 to 10 patients per 100 hospitalized.^1-3 Without warning, hyperkalemia may cause nearly any dysrhythmia.⁴ Estimates of deaths caused by hyperkalemia in the general population are unavailable; in patients with end-stage renal disease in the United States, hyperkalemia accounted for 1.9% of mortality in 1993.⁵ Higher rates have been reported in a comparable European population.⁶