'Near-miss' hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest associated with rapid blood transfusion

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B Carvalho1, N F Quiney

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Surrey Country Hospital, UK.

Anaesthesia
|December 14, 1999
PubMed

A case is presented in which a relatively modest blood transfusion resulted in acute hyperkalaemia with a 'near-miss' cardiac arrest. While transfusion-related hyperkalaemia usually occurs in association with massive transfusions, several factors may have increased the risk of such an acute reaction. A high index of suspicion is required, especially in patients with risk factors. Anaesthetists should not be lulled into a false sense of security simply because modest volumes of blood are being transfused.

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