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Case Reports
. 2019 May 20;3(3):211-214.
doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2019.3.42062. eCollection 2019 Aug.

A Case of Thiazide-induced Hypokalemic Paralysis

Elizabeth Schell  1 , Joshua Pathman  2 , Richard Pescatore  2 , Pollianne W Bianchi  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case of Thiazide-induced Hypokalemic Paralysis

Elizabeth Schell et al. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. .

Abstract

We describe the case of a patient presenting with odd neurologic symptoms initially thought to represent somatization who was found to have critical hypokalemia manifesting as hypokalemic non-periodic paralysis. It was determined that the patient had baseline hypokalemia as a function of alcohol abuse, exacerbated by self overmedication with hydrochlorothiazide for elevated blood pressure readings at home. The diagnosis was suspected when an electrocardiogram was obtained demonstrating a pseudo-prolonged QT interval with ST depression, consistent with T-U wave fusion and a QU interval with an absent T wave.1 The patient received oral and intravenous potassium and magnesium supplementation with resolution of symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the CPC-EM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. The authors disclosed none.

Figures

Image
Image
Electrocardiogram demonstrating a pseudo-prolonged corrected QT interval (522 milliseconds) with ST depression (red arrow), consistent with T-U wave fusion and a QU interval with an absent T wave (blue arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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