Hypokalemia Leading to Postoperative Critical Arrhythmias: Case Reports and Literature Review

Abstract

Perioperative arrhythmias can develop due to many reasons, rarely life-threatening, but hypokalemia plays an important role in their development. We report two cases of severe postoperative hypokalemia leading to ventricular fibrillation (VF). Case 1: A young healthy lady developed perioperative severe hypokalemia leading to repeated episodes of VF requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), direct current (DC) shock and anti-arrhythmic therapy, apart from rapid replacement of intravenous potassium. She recovered fully without any neurological or cardiac sequelae. Case 2: A 78-year-old male patient, a known case of hypertension controlled with medications developed postoperative repeated VF due to hypokalemia requiring 210 mmol of potassium chloride, antiarrhythmic therapy, DC shock, and CPR. He recovered, but complicated into acute myocardial infarction requiring therapy. Perioperative severe hypokalemia can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Early recognition and aggressive correction are essential for better outcomes.