can you give me the description,treatment and prevention for hypotassemia?

Answer 1

Hypotassemia, more commonly referred to as hypokalemia among doctors, is low circulating levels of potassium. Potassium helps stabilize the electrochemical gradient along the body's cell membranes. Loss of potassium most commonly results in cardiac arrythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and can even cause a cardiac arrest.

The treatment is potassium replacement. It can be given by mouth or by IV. If given IV, it has to be given slowly as a rapid infusion can lead to heart arrythmias as well. The oral form is absorbed slowly enough to prevent this.

The most common causes for hypokalemia are losses through the GI tract such as vomiting or diarrhea. Preventing these losses or making sure you take enough in if you're having ongoing losses of potassium is a good start for prevention.

Answer 2

Hypotassemia- low potassium level. Hypokalemia means low serum potassium (low blood levels of potassium). It may result from a number of conditions.
Please see the web pages for more details on Hypokalemia.

Answer 3

If you google hypokalemia (low potassium), you'll find a lot of information.