Prevalence Causes Clinical features Investigations Therapy Prognosis

Prevalence Hyperkalaemia (potassium > 5.5 mmol/l) is uncommon in hospital, c but watch patients on ACE inhibitors b or with diabetes c Why? Around 1% of hospital in-patients have hyperkalaemia (5.5 mmol/l or more) c 0.3% of diabetic outpatients have potassium 6.0 mmol/l or more c 10% of patients on ACE inhibitors have raised potassium levels though few have severe hyperkalaemia (0.2% > 6 mmol/l) in a year b

Expiry date: September 2005
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides