Hypokalemia-Induced Cardiac Arrest

Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) refers to a group of disorders in which the elimination of hydrogen ions from the kidney or the reabsorption of filtered bicarbonate is impaired, resulting in metabolic acidosis. Hypokalemia is also prominent in different types of RTA. We are presenting an interesting case about a chronic alcoholic patient who presented to the emergency department and was found to be severely hypokalemic. During her hospital stay, she had multiple cardiac arrests likely secondary to her hypokalemia despite adequate treatment with potassium supplementation. We came to the conclusion of distal RTA in our patient based on hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, sodium bicarbonate of 10 mmol/L, low potassium, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine within normal limits, alkaline urine, and a positive urinary anion gap. It is likely that the cause of our patient's underlying type 1 RTA was secondary to her chronic alcohol abuse. Her potassium eventually returned to baseline, and she was discharged.