So, one very cold, and early morning/night shift call (call at 6:30 when shifts done at 0700) for a 70s female with palpitations. 10-7 scene and the patient answers the door, in no obvious distress. Upon primary assessment, the patient says well, the palpitations are done now, they lasted 30 seconds, but I figured I should get checked out (you have got to be freaking joking me lady, theres such a thing as a clinic for that) but whatever I do a full assessment anyhow. All vitals are WNL, but what I did notice were some of the tallest tented T waves Ive ever seen. I ask mam, any coffee or bananas or grapefruit today? No. Pt has no cardiac hx, only diabetes, so I ask mam what meds are you on. She directs me to a cabinet and said they were all there and gave me permission to go collect them. As Im going through mostly just anti diabetic meds, but a shit ton of over the counter natural supplements. Usually I would overlook them, but there were so many and I knew the patient was Hyperkalemic, so I did go through them. Sure enough, I see a bottle of 500mg potassium with a masking tape on it with writing that says: take two daily for relief of leg spasms. HOLY shit. Uhh... Mam have you been taking two of these twice a day? Yes.. YOU have to throw those out! Ive just found your problem! Potassium induced palpitations!! So I tell her: what is more severe to you? Leg spasms, or a heart attack? Before we left I watched her throw the pills away, and carted her off to the ER. Problem solved. Bandage-one
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:56:51 +0000
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