A Prospective Study on Red Blood Cell Transfusion Related Hyperkalemia in Critically Ill Patients

Abstract

Background: Transfusion-associated hyperkalemic cardiac arrest is a serious complication in patients receiving packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions. Mortality from hyperkalemia increases with large volumes of PRBC transfusion, increased rate of transfusion, and the use of stored PRBCs. Theoretically, hyperkalemia may be compli-cated by low cardiac output, acidosis, hyperglycemia, hypocalcemia, and hypothermia. In this study, we focus on transfusion-related hyper-kalemia involving only medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients.