Management considerations in treating metabolic abnormalities associated with theophylline overdose

We treated a patient who intentionally overdosed with theophylline complicated by metabolic disturbances. Management of the patient's hypokalemia with moderate doses of potassium chloride resulted in hyperkalemia with associated electrocardiographic changes. The rapid clearance of theophylline...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArchives of internal medicine (1960) Vol. 147; no. 10; p. 1837
Main Authors D'Angio, R, Sabatelli, F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.10.1987
Subjects
Adult
Charcoal - therapeutic use
Electrocardiography
Humans
Hyperkalemia - physiopathology
Hypokalemia - chemically induced
Hypokalemia - drug therapy
Male
Potassium - blood
Potassium Chloride - adverse effects
Suicide, Attempted
Theophylline - poisoning
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Summary:We treated a patient who intentionally overdosed with theophylline complicated by metabolic disturbances. Management of the patient's hypokalemia with moderate doses of potassium chloride resulted in hyperkalemia with associated electrocardiographic changes. The rapid clearance of theophylline due to the administration of oral activated charcoal was believed to be a contributing factor. It is likely that theophylline-induced hypokalemia is due to intracellular sequestration of potassium and that as the theophylline level decreases potassium will reequilibrate out of the cell. The case provides support for the conservative management of metabolite abnormalities associated with theophylline overdose.
ISSN:0003-9926
DOI:10.1001/archinte.1987.00370100151025