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Hypokalaemic Periodic Paralysis

OVERVIEW

  • rare channelopathy

CLINICAL FEATURES

  • muscle weakness/paralysis with a matching fall in K+ levels
  • starts in adolescence
  • weakness may be mild -> full body paralysis
  • may last hours/days
  • recover suddenly

Triggers

  • strenuous exercise followed by rest
  • high carbohydrate meals
  • meals with high Na+ content
  • sudden changes in temperature
  • excitement
  • noise/flashing lights

INVESTIGATIONS

  • hypokalaemia but not necessarily below normal
  • elevated CK
  • elevated transtubular potassium gradient
  • ECG: sinus bradycardia, flattened T waves, U waves in II, V2, V3, V4 and ST depression
  • provocation test with glucose load

MANAGEMENT

  • IV K+
  • prophylaxis for frequent attacks: acetazolamide, spironolactone

References and Links

LITFL


CCC 700 6

Critical Care

Compendium

Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at the Alfred ICU in Melbourne. He is also a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University. He is a co-founder of the Australia and New Zealand Clinician Educator Network (ANZCEN) and is the Lead for the ANZCEN Clinician Educator Incubator programme. He is on the Board of Directors for the Intensive Care Foundation and is a First Part Examiner for the College of Intensive Care Medicine. He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives.

After finishing his medical degree at the University of Auckland, he continued post-graduate training in New Zealand as well as Australia’s Northern Territory, Perth and Melbourne. He has completed fellowship training in both intensive care medicine and emergency medicine, as well as post-graduate training in biochemistry, clinical toxicology, clinical epidemiology, and health professional education.

He is actively involved in in using translational simulation to improve patient care and the design of processes and systems at Alfred Health. He coordinates the Alfred ICU’s education and simulation programmes and runs the unit’s education website, INTENSIVE.  He created the ‘Critically Ill Airway’ course and teaches on numerous courses around the world. He is one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) and is co-creator of litfl.com, the RAGE podcast, the Resuscitology course, and the SMACC conference.

His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.

On Twitter, he is @precordialthump.

| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC

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