The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 76, 673-677, Copyright © 1978 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
The potassium status of patients prior to open-heart surgery
DB Morgan, AJ Mearns and L Burkinshaw
The dysrhythmia that happens after open-heart surgery has at times been
attributed to potassium depletion. Therefore, in some centers, patients
scheduled for open-heart surgery are routinely given potassium supplements.
We have assessed the potassium status of 32 patients prior to cardiac
surgery (1) by measurements of plasma, red cell, and leukocyte potassium
levels and total body potassium before and after administration of
potassium supplements (144 mmoles daily for 3 days) and (2) by the changes
in urine potassium during the supplementation. On admission none of the
patients showed evidence of a large potassium deficit, and none of them
retained much of the supplemental potassium. The observations that have
previously been taken as evidence of potassium depletion in such patients
are discussed, and alternative explanations are suggested for all these
observations.
