Open AccessPotassium chloride mixture may maintain hypokalaemia and hypertension
Author(s) -
Mette Johannsen Mandoe,
Rikke Borg,
Ditte Hansen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2017-223732
Subject(s) - potassium , medicine , discontinuation , hypokalemia , ingestion , chloride , sodium , blood pressure , chemistry , organic chemistry
Hypokalaemia can be treated with potassium chloride mixture. Some mixtures contain liquorice extract (glycyrrhizin) as a supplement to improve taste. Glycyrrhizin can cause pseudohyperaldosteronism and thereby result in hypertension and hypokalaemia. We here present a case where treatment with potassium chloride mixture causes hypertension and hypokalaemia in a 50-year-old woman. After unravelling differential diagnosis, the potassium chloride mixture was stopped. After the discontinuation, the patient's blood pressure was well managed and the potassium levels normalised.