Hypokalemia: Causes, Symptoms, ECG Changes, And Management

Hypokalemia: Causes, Symptoms, ECG Changes, And Management

Question 1. Hypokalemia
Answer:

• A decrease in the concentration of serum potassium is called hypokalemia

Causes:

• Overactivity of the adrenal cortex
• Prolonged cortisone therapy
• Intravenous administration of K+-free fluids
• Treatment of diabetic coma with insulin
• Prolonged diarrhea & vomiting

Symptoms:

• Irritability
• Muscular weakness
• Tachycardia
• Cardiomegaly
• Cardiac arrest

ECG changes:

• Flattening of waves
• Inverted T wave

Question 2. Absorption & transport of iron
Answer:

Absorption:

• Dietary iron is in the ferric form bound to proteins or organic acids
• The acidic medium of gastric juice releases this ferric ion
• Later it is converted to ferrous form by reducing substances like ascorbic acid & cysteine
• The ferrous form is soluble & is readily absorbed by mucosal cells
• It is oxidized to ferric form by ferroxidase
• This ferric form then combines with apoferritin & forms ferritin
• Iron from the mucosal cells may enter the bloodstream
• The ferric form is- Fe3+
• The ferrous form is Fe2+

Transport:

• Iron enters the plasma in a ferrous state
• Gets oxidized to ferric form, by a copper-containing protein, ceruloplasmin
• Ferric iron then binds to transferrin & is transported