This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by FROHNERT, P. P. Articles by TAUXE, W. N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by FROHNERT, P. P. Articles by TAUXE, W. N.

(Circulation. 1970;41:667.)
© 1970 American Heart Association, Inc.

---

Statistical Investigation of Correlations Between Serum Potassium Levels and Electrocardiographic Findings in Patients on Intermittent Hemodialysis Therapy

PETER P. FROHNERT M.D.¹; EMILIO R. GLULIANI M.D.¹; MORDECAI FRIEDBERG M.S.¹; WILLIAM J. JOHNSON M.D.¹; W. NEWLON TAUXE M.D.¹

¹ From the Sections of Medicine, Medical Statistics, Epidemiology and Population Genetics, and Clinical Pathology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine (University of Minnesota), Rochester, Minnesota.

Simultaneous determinations of serum potassium and sodium, blood pH, blood pressure, and 12-lead electrocardiograms were obtained in hyperkalemic patients with chronic renal failure. Statistical investigation of the data showed a high correlation between serum potassium levels and ventricular repolarization abnormalities. "Mean intracellular potassium concentration" derived from total body potassium and total body water values was not accurate enough to show significant correlations to ECG changes and did not improve on the already significant correlations with serum potassium levels. Equations are presented which would permit the estimation of serum potassium levels (in a narrow range) from electrocardiographic findings in patients with chronic renal failure and suspected hyperkalemia.

Key Words: Electrolytes • Chronic renal failure • Hyperkalemia • Dialysis requirements • Heart

Submitted on November 13, 1969
Accepted on December 19, 1969

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Aslam, E. A. Friedman, and O. Ifudu Electrocardiography is unreliable in detecting potentially lethal hyperkalaemia in haemodialysis patients Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., September 1, 2002; 17(9): 1639 - 1642. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]