CHANGES IN ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE AND HAEMATOCRIT DURING ACUTE HYPERKALAEMIA IN CONSCIOUS SHEEP

The systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressures, heart rate and haematocrit were measured at 15 minute intervals before, during and after 2 hour infusions of 0·4 mol.l ‐1 NaCl at 2·2 ml min ‐1 into conscious intact sheep and of 0·4 mol.l ‐1 KCI at 2·2 ml. min ‐1 into conscious sheep which were either intact or adrenalectomized. The haematocrit was also measured in splenectomized sheep receiving 0·4 mol.l ‐1 KCI. The NaCl infusion had no significant effect on blood pressure (BP), heart rate and haematocrit. Both intact and adrenalectomized sheep were able to withstand an increase in plasma potassium concentration in excess of 50% of the preinfusion concentration before any substantial fall in BP occurred. In intact and adrenalectomized sheep, heart rate and haematocrit increased rapidly and progressively throughout the potassium infusions and at maximum plasma potassium concentration the mean increments in these parameters for both groups of sheep were 21·6±2·69 beats/min and 7·5±0·47% respectively. Heart rate and haematocrit were more closely correlated with the plasma potassium concentration than with any other variable measured in these experiments. Adrenalectomy did not reduce the ability of the sheep to maintain their BP or to increase their heart rate and haematocrit. As the mean increase in haematocrit during potassium infusion into splenectomized sheep was 1·3±0·45% most of the increase in haematocrit observed in the potassium‐infused intact and adrenalectomized sheep was caused by ejection of red cells from the spleen into the circulation.