Heparin-induced hyperkalemia in an extremely-low-birth-weight infant: a case report

Heparin may cause hyperkalemia by blocking aldosterone biosynthesis in the adrenal gland. Dizygotic twin sisters were born by Cesarean section at 25 weeks' gestation. The younger sister developed acute hyperkalemia (7.4 mEq/L) at 10 days of age. At the time of the development of the hyperkalemia, there were no signs of systemic infection, cardiac or renal failure, adrenal insufficiency, or sudden anemia. She was receiving no medication other than heparin to maintain the vascular catheter. Heparin was changed to dalteparin at 12 days of age. The plasma potassium level normalized after 14 days of age. After this change, the urinary potassium concentration and the aldosterone and plasma renin activity increased. The urinary aldosterone levels before and after the changes were 31 and 183 pg/μg creatinine, respectively. When heparin-induced hyperkalemia is suspected, stopping the heparin administration facilitates diagnosis and treatment; if anticoagulant therapy is required; one treatment option is changing from unfractionated heparin to low-molecular-weight heparin.