Related Experiment Videos
Serum electrolytes as markers of vomiting in bulimia nervosa
S J Crow1, J J Salisbury, R D Crosby
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Objective:
Patients with bulimia nervosa often have serum electrolyte abnormalities that result from vomiting and/or laxative or diuretic use. Thus, serum electrolytes could serve as an objective marker of such behaviors.
Method:
This study is a retrospective examination of serum electrolyte levels and vomiting behavior in 138 bulimic women, and of serum electrolyte levels in 70 control women.
Results:
Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that only potassium values distinguished bulimic subjects from controls. Potassium levels below the lower limit of normal (3.7 mg/l) occurred only in the bulimic group.
Discussion:
Abnormally low values for potassium are a specific, but not sensitive, predictor of recent vomiting episodes.