scholarly journals Multiple Electrolyte and Metabolic Emergencies in a Single Patient

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Caprice Cadacio ◽  
Phuong-Thu Pham ◽  
Ruchika Bhasin ◽  
Anita Kamarzarian ◽  
Phuong-Chi Pham

While some electrolyte disturbances are immediately life-threatening and must be emergently treated, others may be delayed without immediate adverse consequences. We discuss a patient with alcoholism and diabetes mellitus type 2 who presented with volume depletion and multiple life-threatening electrolyte and metabolic derangements including severe hyponatremia (serum sodium concentration [SNa] 107 mEq/L), hypophosphatemia (“undetectable,” <1.0 mg/dL), and hypokalemia (2.2 mEq/L), moderate diabetic ketoacidosis ([DKA], pH 7.21, serum anion gap [SAG] 37) and hypocalcemia (ionized calcium 4.0 mg/dL), mild hypomagnesemia (1.6 mg/dL), and electrocardiogram with prolonged QTc. Following two liters of normal saline and associated increase in SNa by 4 mEq/L and serum osmolality by 2.4 mosm/Kg, renal service was consulted. We were challenged with minimizing the correction of SNa (or effective serum osmolality) to avoid the osmotic demyelinating syndrome while replacing volume, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium and concurrently treating DKA. Our management plan was further complicated by an episode of significant aquaresis. A stepwise approach was strategized to prioritize and correct all disturbances with considerations that the treatment of one condition could affect or directly worsen another. The current case demonstrates that a thorough understanding of electrolyte physiology is required in managing complex electrolyte disturbances to avoid disastrous outcomes.

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alenka Stepišnik ◽  
Irena Cetin-Lovšin ◽  
Sonja Posega-Devetak

Hiponatremia and hyperkalemia in a newborn can be a life threatening disorder caused by different diseases, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or less frequently by a genetical or acquired tubular cell resistance to aldosteron, called pseudohypoaldosteronism. Secondary pseudohypoaldosteronism is a rare, reversible electrolyte disorder caused by aldosterone resistance in infants with congenital urinary tract malformations and/or urinary tract infection.We present a 4-week-old boy with severe hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and elevated aldosterone levels during an episode of pyelonephritis. The disorder improved completely with antibiotic treatment, rehydration and electrolyte correction. Further investigations showed no structural urinary tract anomalies. According to the literature, we concluded that electrolyte disturbances were caused by aldosterone resistance of the inflamed tubular cells and subsequent defective transepithelial sodium transport.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maheswaran Dhanasekaran ◽  
Suchita Mehta

Abstract Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors induce osmotic diuresis by inhibiting the proximal renal tubular reabsorption of the filtered glucose load. This can occasionally lead to severe dehydration, hypotension and in some cases, severe hyponatremia. The effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on sodium and water handling by the renal tubules is not well studied. Clinical Case: A 49-year-old male with history of type 2 diabetes mellitus on canagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, who was brought to the Emergency Room following a motor vehicle accident from acute onset of confusion and altered mental status. Initial trauma workup was negative. He was found to have severe hyponatremia to 118 mEq/ L (n 135–145 mEq/ L) and was also noted to be in euglycemic ketoacidosis with positive serum ketones (qualitative assessment) along with acute onset urinary retention. Urine toxicology was negative including negative blood alcohol level. Thyroid function was normal 1.080 mIU/ L (n 0.47- 6.90mIU/L). His total urine osmolar excretion was ~ 2400 mOsm in 12h (n 500–800 mOsm/kg of water/ 24 hours), confirming the diagnosis of his ongoing massive osmotic diuresis. On admission, his antidiuretic hormone (ADH) level was noted to be elevated to 9.1 pg/mL (n &lt;4.3pg/ mL). This severe degree of hyponatremia was postulated to be secondary to canagliflozin causing massive osmotic diuresis resulting in severe intravascular volume depletion with reflex increase in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) compounded by increased free water intake by the patient. Conclusion: With more widespread use of this relatively new hypoglycemic medication with protective metabolic and cardiovascular benefits that include weight loss and reduction of BP in T2DM patients, it is equally important to understand the physiology of potentially life-threatening adverse effects associated with severe volume depletion by massive osmotic diuresis and electrolyte abnormalities that include hypernatremia (even hyponatremia), and the timely recognition of euglycemic ketoacidosis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (39) ◽  
pp. 1527-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Balogh ◽  
János Mátyus

Metformin is the first-line, widely used oral antidiabetic agent for the management of type 2 diabetes. There is increasing evidence that metformin use results in a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and might have anticancer activity. An extremely rare, but potentially life-threatening adverse effect of metformin is lactic acidosis, therefore, its use is traditionally contraindicated if the glomerular filtrate rate is below 60 mL/min. However, lactic acidosis is always associated with acute events, such as hypovolemia, acute cardiorespiratory illness, severe sepsis and acute renal or hepatic failure. Furthermore, administration of insulins and conventional antihyperglycemic agents increases the risk of severe hypoglycemic events when renal function is reduced. Therefore, the magnitude of the benefit of metformin use would outweigh potential risk of lactic acidosis in moderate chronic renal disease. After reviewing the literature, the authors give a proposal for the administration of metformin, according to the calculated glomerular filtrate rate. Orv.Hetil., 2012, 153, 1527–1535.


Diabetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1169-P
Author(s):  
SHRITA M. PATEL ◽  
MARY A. HICKMAN ◽  
ROBERT FREDERICH ◽  
BRETT LAURING ◽  
STEVEN TERRA ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 204589402110295
Author(s):  
Hirohisa Taniguchi ◽  
Tomoya Takashima ◽  
Ly Tu ◽  
Raphaël Thuillet ◽  
Asuka Furukawa ◽  
...  

Although precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare but severe complication of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), its association with NF2 remains unknown. Herein, we report a case of a 44-year-old woman who was initially diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and treated with PAH-specific combination therapy. However, a careful assessment for a relevant family history of the disease and genetic testing reveal that this patient had a mutation in the NF2 gene. Using immunofluorescence and Western blotting, we demonstrated a decrease in endothelial NF2 protein in lungs from IPAH patients compared to control lungs, suggesting a potential role of NF2 in PAH development. To our knowledge, this is the first time that precapillary PH has been described in a patient with NF2. The altered endothelial NF2 expression pattern in PAH lungs should stimulate work to better understand how NF2 is contributing to the pulmonary vascular remodeling associated to these severe life-threatening conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2333794X1984507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Kenneth Smith ◽  
Peter M. Gerrits

Adrenal insufficiency is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition whose diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Adrenal insufficiency may be primary, secondary, or tertiary with varied etiologies. Primary insufficiency may be part of a cluster of autoimmune diseases, referred to as autoimmune polyglandular syndrome(s) (APS). We describe a case of a 15-year-old male who presents to a local emergency department complaining of fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for a few days with a preceding viral illness. The patient was hyponatremic and hyperkalemic with skin hyperpigmentation, raising concern for adrenal insufficiency. Laboratory workup confirmed autoimmune primary adrenal insufficiency, with subsequent laboratory studies revealing autoimmune thyroiditis and celiac disease. Concomitant Addison’s and Hashimoto’s diseases led to a diagnosis of APS type 2. The patient was started on steroid replacement with rapid clinical improvement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 218 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Podstawka ◽  
Sarthak Sinha ◽  
Carlos H. Hiroki ◽  
Nicole Sarden ◽  
Elise Granton ◽  
...  

Pulmonary innate immunity is required for host defense; however, excessive neutrophil inflammation can cause life-threatening acute lung injury. B lymphocytes can be regulatory, yet little is known about peripheral transitional IgM+ B cells in terms of regulatory properties. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we discovered eight IgM+ B cell subsets with unique gene regulatory networks in the lung circulation dominated by transitional type 1 B and type 2 B (T2B) cells. Lung intravital confocal microscopy revealed that T2B cells marginate in the pulmonary capillaries via CD49e and require CXCL13 and CXCR5. During lung inflammation, marginated T2B cells dampened excessive neutrophil vascular inflammation via the specialized proresolving molecule lipoxin A4 (LXA4). Exogenous CXCL13 dampened excessive neutrophilic inflammation by increasing marginated B cells, and LXA4 recapitulated neutrophil regulation in B cell–deficient mice during inflammation and fungal pneumonia. Thus, the lung microvasculature is enriched in multiple IgM+ B cell subsets with marginating capillary T2B cells that dampen neutrophil responses.


Author(s):  
Tzy Harn Chua ◽  
Wann Jia Loh

Summary Severe hyponatremia and osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) are opposite ends of a spectrum of emergency disorders related to sodium concentrations. Management of severe hyponatremia is challenging because of the difficulty in balancing the risk of overcorrection leading to ODS as well as under-correction causing cerebral oedema, particularly in a patient with chronic hypocortisolism and hypothyroidism. We report a case of a patient with Noonan syndrome and untreated anterior hypopituitarism who presented with symptomatic hyponatremia and developed transient ODS. Learning points: Patients with severe anterior hypopituitarism with severe hyponatremia are susceptible to the rapid rise of sodium level with a small amount of fluid and hydrocortisone. These patients with chronic anterior hypopituitarism are at high risk of developing ODS and therefore, care should be taken to avoid a rise of more than 4–6 mmol/L per day. Early recognition and rescue desmopressin and i.v. dextrose 5% fluids to reduce serum sodium concentration may be helpful in treating acute ODS.


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