Examination of Hypokalemia In Prognosis of Brain Stroke

Prognosis of patients with brain stroke is dependent on muliple factors. A study points out that mild decrease of serum potassium level without clinical signs is associated with bad outcome.

This study was carried out to assess the mild hypocalemia and outcome of patients addmited in Neurology Department of Shafa Medical Center, affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

In this prospective study, 100 patients with brain stroke were selected. Serum levels of potassium ion were determined at the first hours of stroke. Evaluation of patients situation was carried out 2 months after discharge by phone contacts with patients or their families for investigation about the ability or disability of patients for activity.

100 patients with brain stroke were evaluated. The males were slightly more than females (60%). More than 30% of patients were not active (EDSS/7) and mild hypokamelia (K<3.5 meg/l) without clinical signs was found out in 30% of patients. Mild hypokalemia was seen more in cases that neurological symptoms were more severe (P<0.01). Cases with mild hypokalemia were associated with more disability after 2 months (P<0.01).

Mild hypokalemia at the first hours after stroke was more in those patients with more neurological defects and it was associated with higher disabilities after 2 months since the discharge.