Hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest following intravenous hydralazine and propranolol therapy post-embolectomy

A case of hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest occurring in a 50-year-old woman after bilateral femoral embolectomies is presented. The postoperative course was complicated by acute renal failure, metabolic acidosis, hypotension and low cardiac output. The possible contribution of hydralazine and propranolol therapy to the rapid development of hyperkalaemia is discussed.