Hypokalemia in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: Prevalence and Correlates

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence, and the severity of hypokalemia, and the factors associated with hypokalemia among patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Methods: Random sampling technique was employed in this study. Socio-demographic data such as age, gender, weight (kg), height (meters) and BMI (kg/m2) as well as presenting symptoms (pulmonary and extra-pulmonary), duration of admission, the need for mechanical ventilation and treatment outcomes (discharged or died) as well as the plasma level of potassium (mmol/l) were extracted from the medical records of RT-PCR confirmed hospitalized cases of COVID-19 patients. Data collected were analyzed with IBM/ SPSS version 25.0 software. Discrete variables were presented as percentages and frequencies and the associations between qualitative variables tested using the Chi-square test at a level of significance of p < 0.05.

Results: Hypokalaemia was detected in 61 out of 117 COVID-19 positive subjects used for this study during hospitalization. The mean serum potassium was 3.45±0.633 mmol/L. The majority of hypokalemic patients (n=35, 29.9%) patients experienced a mild decrease in serum potassium level (3–3.4 mmol/L). Risk factors for hypokalaemia were female sex and patients presenting with sneezing or/and sore throat. There was no relationship between the plasma potassium level and comorbid factors. There was no increasing trend of 30-day mortality associated with lower plasma potassium level.

Conclusion: Plasma potassium levels should be monitored routinely and maintained within appropriate ranges in patients with COVID-19 especially in female patients as well as patient with significant upper respiratory symptoms such as sore throat and sneezing.