Hypokalaemia can be treated with potassium chloride mixture. Some mixtures contain liquorice extract (glycyrrhizin) as a supplement to improve taste. Glycyrrhizin can cause pseudohyperaldosteronism and thereby result in hypertension and hypokalaemia. We here present a case where treatment with potassium chloride mixture causes hypertension and hypokalaemia in a 50-year-old woman. After unravelling differential diagnosis, the potassium chloride mixture was stopped. After the discontinuation, the patient's blood pressure was well managed and the potassium levels normalised.
Keywords: cardiovascular system; contraindications and precautions; endocrine system; fluid electrolyte and acid-base disturbances; hypertension.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.