Electrolyte Abnormalities in Patients Presenting With Ventricular Arrhythmia (from the LYTE-VT Study)

Electrolyte abnormalities are a known trigger for ventricular arrhythmia, and patients with heart disease on diuretic therapy may be at higher risk for electrolyte depletion. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of electrolyte depletion in patients presenting to the hospital with sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) versus heart failure, and identify risk factors for electrolyte depletion. Consecutive admissions to a tertiary care hospital for VT/VF were identified between July 2016 and October 2018 using the electronic medical record and compared with an equal number of consecutive admissions for heart failure (CHF). The study included 280 patients (140 patients in each group; mean age 63, 60% male, 59% African American). Average EF in the VT/VF and CHF groups was 30% and 33%, respectively. Hypokalemia (K < 3.5 mmol/L) and severe hypokalemia (K < 3.0 mmol/L) were present in 35.7% and 13.6%, respectively, of patients with VT/VF, compared to 12.9% and 2.7% of patients with CHF (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively, between groups). Hypomagnesemia was found in 7.8% and 5.8% of VT/VF and CHF patients, respectively (p = 0.46). Gastrointestinal illness and recent increases in diuretic dose were strongly associated with severe hypokalemia in VT/VF patients (odds ratio: 11.1 and 21.9, respectively; p < 0.001). In conclusion, hypokalemia is extremely common in patients presenting with VT/VF, much more so than in patients with CHF alone. Preceding gastrointestinal illness and increase in diuretic dose were strongly associated with severe hypokalemia in the VT/VF population, revealing a potential opportunity for early intervention and arrhythmia risk reduction.