The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-C0V-2), has affected many lives globally. In Singapore, majority of the infected individuals are foreign workers residing in dormitories. A retrospective review conducted over two weeks (April 13 to April 26, 2020) of migrant workers admitted to a public hospital in Singapore revealed that a significant number of them developed hypokalemia. The purpose of this study was to examine any association that might exist between COVID-19 and hypokalemia. Fifty patients in this study had hypokalemia, translating to a prevalence of 28.4% (95% CI: 21.9-35.7). Gastrointestinal (GI) loss was a significant cause of hypokalemia with a prevalence of GI symptoms in the study group (diarrhea, vomiting, poor oral intake) of 5.7% (95% CI: 2.8-10.2). Clinicians should consider screening for hypokalemia in COVID-19 patients and initiate potassium replacement to mitigate any potential arrhythmias.
【저자키워드】 COVID 19, hypokalemia, gastrointestinal losses, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus disease, coronavirus, pandemic, hospital, diarrhea, Prevalence, Patient, Gastrointestinal, Potassium, Singapore, Arrhythmias, association, retrospective, COVID-19 patient, acute respiratory syndrome, infected individual, vomiting, mitigate, affected, caused, conducted, majority, GI symptom, poor oral intake, the study group, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Gastrointestinal, Can, Inferior,