Anestesia e Pesquisa Clínica
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An Unusual Presentation of Hypokalemia

Medha Mohta, Bhumika Kalra, Rajkumar Shukla and AK Sethi

We report a case of severe hypokalemia presenting as Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). A 25 years old male presented to hospital with history of acute onset ascending areflexic paralysis. A diagnosis of GBS was made by the physicians. The patient was shifted to Intensive Care Unit for mechanical ventilation and further management. Investigations revealed severe hypokalemia for which potassium replacement was started. With correction of serum potassium levels, the patient’s muscle power recovered completely within 24 hours of Intensive Care Unit stay. Thus, if features suggestive of GBS are accompanied by low serum potassium levels, a possibility of hypokalemia induced paralysis should always be kept in mind.