While she was hospitalized in an emergency at the American hospital in Neuilly on Monday March 21, Laetitia Hallyday would suffer from hypokalemia. Dr. Gérald Kierzek explains this disorder.
Remained in intensive care for 24 hours during her hospitalization at the American hospital in Neuilly on Monday March 21, Laetitia Hallyday has since been able to leave and join his family in the South. It was following a blood test that the mother of Jade and Joy and companion of Jalil Lespert was diagnosed with hypokalemia. Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo, looks back on this disorder and explains what it is. Hypokalemia is a drop in blood potassium. However, potassium is a vital ion in the blood. Laeticia Hallyday was put on a drip after her diagnosis. ” It can be measured by a blood test, which is called an ionogram and the normal figures are around 4 mmol/l of potassium in the blood”, explains Dr Gérald Kierzek. It is below 3.5 mmol / l of blood that we speak of hypokalaemia.
What are the risks of hypokalemia?
hypokalemia can lead to serious consequences. « Severe hypokalaemia can be life-threatening,” says Gérald Kierzek. Indeed, the emergency physician explains that “dIn cases where the deficiency is profound, an infusion must be set up very quickly to compensate for the lack of potassium in the body”. To make sure you get enough potassium, these foods are rich : beets, spinach, white beans, sweet potatoes and potatoes or even bananas…
Where does hypokalemia come from?
It exists several kinds of hypokalemia : moderate, severe or very severe. The balance of potassium in the blood is achieved through dietary intake and renal elimination of the ion. If mild hypokalemia can be tolerated in a healthy person, this will not be the case if it gets worse: ” Moderate to severe hypokalemia can even have cardiac repercussions with arrhythmias,” adds Dr. Kierzek. It exists several causes for this disorder : a diet low in potassium, an increase in the gastrointestinal or renal excretion of potassium or transfer of potassium into the cell.
Article written in collaboration with 6Médias
Photo credits: Ait Adjedjou Karim/Avenir Pictures/ABACA
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