Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
08:51
A Modular Workflow for Quantitative, Structural and Functional Analysis of Leptospira Biofilms
Published on: December 19, 2025
Hypokalemic paralysis in leptospirosis
P Baburaj1, Shyam Shankar Varma, B L Harikrishnan
1Dept of Medicine, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, East Fort, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN 680005.
The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
|July 18, 2012
Summary
A farmer with fever and bodyache was diagnosed with leptospirosis, experiencing renal failure and flaccid weakness. Treatment with potassium correction and conservative measures led to recovery.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
Background:
- Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations.
- Renal failure and neurological complications can occur in severe cases of leptospirosis.
Observation:
- A 40-year-old male farmer presented with fever and bodyache.
- The patient developed non-oliguric renal failure and flaccid weakness.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with leptospirosis.
- Flaccid weakness was attributed to hypokalemia.
- Renal failure was non-oliguric.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering leptospirosis in patients with fever, renal failure, and neurological symptoms.
- Prompt diagnosis and management, including potassium correction, are crucial for favorable outcomes.
- Leptospirosis can present with diverse complications, necessitating a comprehensive diagnostic approach.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetic Ketoacidosis ll: Pathophysiology
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a metabolic emergency characterized by hyperglycemia, ketonemia, and metabolic acidosis. It results from severe insulin deficiency and an excess of counterregulatory hormones, leading to uncontrolled lipolysis, ketogenesis, and widespread electrolyte and fluid disturbances.Pathophysiology The central event in DKA is a profound loss of insulin action. Without insulin, glucose uptake in insulin-dependent tissues is impaired, while hepatic glucose production...
01:30Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
01:25Diabetic Ketoacidosis l: Introduction
DefinitionDiabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute, life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by a triad of hyperglycemia (blood glucose >250 mg/dL), ketonemia or ketonuria, and metabolic acidosis (arterial pH <7.30 and serum bicarbonate <18 mEq/L). It results from insulin deficiency combined with elevated levels of counterregulatory hormones—glucagon, catecholamines, cortisol, and growth hormone—leading to increased lipolysis, hepatic ketone production, and...
01:28Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action
Depolarizing blockers act on skeletal muscle fibers' membranes and induce their depolarization. Most depolarizing blockers have two quaternary N+ atoms that bind the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cause neuromuscular blockade within minutes.
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because succinylcholine...
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because succinylcholine...
01:21Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State, or HHS, is a serious and life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by three main features: severe hyperglycemia, profound dehydration, and elevated serum osmolality, all occurring without significant ketoacidosis.HHS typically develops in older adults or individuals with limited access to fluids. This may result from illness, cognitive impairment, or medications such as diuretics or corticosteroids. These factors reduce...
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...