Etiological Spectrum of patients with Hypokalemic Paralysis

Objective:  To determine the etiological spectrum of patients with Hypokalemic paralysis. Materials & Methods:  A descriptive Cross-Sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neurology, Mayo Hospital Lahore. The duration of the study was 12 months. After history and examination, biochemical tests (serum levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, bicarbonate, chloride, blood pH, urine pH, and urine calcium), along with serum TSH and free T4 levels were measured. Dengue serology was performed for fever-related cases. The following were considered as the outcome variables: thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP), hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), renal tubular acidosis (RTA), dengue fever, Gitelman syndrome, and gastroenteritis. Results:  A total of 125 patients participated in the study. The mean age was 42.62 years. There were 65 males and 60 females. The mean potassium level was 2.61 ± 0.40 mmol/L (range: 2-3.40 mmol/L). Etiological factors included HPP (55.2%), TPP (25.6%), RTA (32.8%), and Gitelman syndrome (24.8%). Conclusion:  Over half of the patients (55.2%) were diagnosed with HPP, with other causes being TPP (25.6%), RTA (32.8%), and Gitelman syndrome (24.8%). It is crucial to quickly identify these conditions in patients with hypokalemic paralysis to improve treatment prognosis.