Serum electrolyte disturbances in the post-resuscitation period. The Cerebral Resuscitation Study Group

In the context of the registration project of the Belgian Cerebral Resuscitation Study Group, the presence or absence of electrolyte disturbances (serum K+ less than 3.0 or greater than 5.5 mEq/l and/or serum Na+ less than 130 or greater than 150 mEq/l) was registered during the 24-h period following resuscitation after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The analysis of 161 consecutive patients seen in the period 1983-1987 at the University Hospital of Gent indicates that patients with such electrolyte disturbances do not have a worse prognosis. Moreover, we also looked at the serum concentrations of potassium and magnesium in 100 and 90 patients respectively by means of a retrospective analysis of the files of 113 consecutive patients seen during 1985-1988 at the University Hospital of Gent and the Free University of Brussels. Hypokalemia (serum K+ less than 3.5 mEq/l) was observed in 30% of the patients and was not related to outcome. The hypokalemia could not be explained by alkalosis; no relationship was found with either the amount of adrenaline administered during resuscitation or the duration of CPR. An abnormal magnesium level (serum less than 1.8 or greater than 2.4 mg/dl) was found in 42% of the patients and our data suggest that the prognosis may be worse in this group. A prospective study on the clinical significance of disturbances in magnesemia would be of interest.