[Antipsychotic drugs and hypokalemia]

The author analyzed 52 cases whose hypokalemic changes in EKG were definitely caused by antipsychotic drugs and found that the incidence was 7.6% and significantly higher in females than in males. It was suggested that the hypokalemic changes in EKG, the potassium; in serum and clinical manifestation of hypokalemia were not 1/2 parallel with each other. The EKG abnormalities were considered as the result of disturbance of intra-extracellular potassium proportion. The mechanism may be multiplex and still suggestive. It was also hinted that the sudden death occurred in patients taking APD may be related with hypokalemia. All of these provided the inspiration of further investigation.