What is the connection between digitalis and hypokalaemia?
Digitalis is a drug derived from plants used for cardiovascular problems that dangerously combines with hypokalaemia or low potassium levels in some people, especially with elderly people. Digitalis and hypokalaemia disrupt the ability of the heart to defeat properly. Patients with low dials who receive digitalis -based drugs feel their effects stronger than normal patients of the heart. Without proper treatment, hypokalaemic patients can be treated with digitalis to die of heart inconsistencies caused by too high the level of drug. Digoxin, an active compound in digitalis drugs, comes from a poisonous plant Foxglove and, as a result, doctors only prescribe to patients with specific heart condition, such as congestive heart failure. Management does not benefit any benefit, but too much can worsen heart problems instead of corna.
doctors use this medicine when the heart cannot provide blood requirements for the rest of the body as wellm heart. Digitalis binds to potassium and sodium receptors of the heart muscle; How sodium is built in the heart, also calcium that stimulates the heart rhythm. This medicine also slows down signals from a sinoatrial node, a part of the heart that tells him when to defeat. Reducing the frequency of the signal creates a more stable rhythm.
comes the connection between digitalis and hypokalaemia, because the receptors to which they bind are also responsible for maintaining potassium levels in the blood. This drug promotes a reduction in intracellular concentrations of potassium, which worsens the effects of existing hypokalaemia. Low potassium causes the heart muscle to receive digitalis faster and causes the body to be secreted more slowly.
Elderly patients, especially patients suffering from dehydration, are at higher risk of suffering the effects of the combination of digitalis and hypokalaemia. This increases the risk of digitalis toxicity that can cause severe arrhythmia, a beamHeart fitting and death. As the drug accumulates in the body, also calcium, causing signals from the sinoatrial node too slowly slowly. The heart beats too fast or too slowly and can even stop completely.
Medical experts treat patients suffering from a combination of digitalis and hypokalaemia by immediate interruption of the drug. They then administer fluids to increase the body hydration level and scatter the remaining digitalis. Oxygen can be administered. Patients must be carefully monitored until their heart rate and rhythm are returned to the normal range.