tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cureus
. 2021 Apr 13;13(4):e14466.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.14466.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Association With Hypokalemia Can Be a Predictor of Inferior Outcomes in COVID-19
Nicholas Wong Wai Cheong[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Veeraraghavan Meyyur Aravamudan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jonathen Venkatachalam[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Navin Kuthiah[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-C0V-2), has affected many lives globally. In Singapore, majority of the infected individuals are foreign workers residing in dormitories. A retrospective review conducted over two weeks (April 13 to April 26, 2020) of migrant workers admitted to a public hospital in Singapore revealed that a significant number of them developed hypokalemia. The purpose of this study was to examine any association that might exist between COVID-19 and hypokalemia. Fifty patients in this study had hypokalemia, translating to a prevalence of 28.4% (95% CI: 21.9-35.7). Gastrointestinal (GI) loss was a significant cause of hypokalemia with a prevalence of GI symptoms in the study group (diarrhea, vomiting, poor oral intake) of 5.7% (95% CI: 2.8-10.2). Clinicians should consider screening for hypokalemia in COVID-19 patients and initiate potassium replacement to mitigate any potential arrhythmias.
Keywords: covid 19; gastrointestinal losses; hypokalemia.
. 2021 Apr 13;13(4):e14466.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.14466.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Association With Hypokalemia Can Be a Predictor of Inferior Outcomes in COVID-19
Nicholas Wong Wai Cheong[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Veeraraghavan Meyyur Aravamudan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jonathen Venkatachalam[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Navin Kuthiah[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33996325
- PMCID: PMC8118572
- DOI: 10.7759/cureus.14466
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-C0V-2), has affected many lives globally. In Singapore, majority of the infected individuals are foreign workers residing in dormitories. A retrospective review conducted over two weeks (April 13 to April 26, 2020) of migrant workers admitted to a public hospital in Singapore revealed that a significant number of them developed hypokalemia. The purpose of this study was to examine any association that might exist between COVID-19 and hypokalemia. Fifty patients in this study had hypokalemia, translating to a prevalence of 28.4% (95% CI: 21.9-35.7). Gastrointestinal (GI) loss was a significant cause of hypokalemia with a prevalence of GI symptoms in the study group (diarrhea, vomiting, poor oral intake) of 5.7% (95% CI: 2.8-10.2). Clinicians should consider screening for hypokalemia in COVID-19 patients and initiate potassium replacement to mitigate any potential arrhythmias.
Keywords: covid 19; gastrointestinal losses; hypokalemia.