Hyperkalemia - A Dangerous, yet often missed Complication - A Case Report

Abstract Hyperkalemia is a dangerous masquerader of myocardial infarction. Since clinical signs of hyperkalemia are vague, electrocardiogram is an important tool for the diagnosis and treatment should be instituted immediately to prevent a catastrophe. Persons with diabetes are prone to this condition in situations like acute kidney injury (AKI) or when AKI is superimposed on chronic diabetic kidney disease. Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and/or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists for hypertension may increase the chances of hyperkalemia. This is a case report of a patient with diabetes type 2 mellitus who was provisionally diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and upon further investigations was found to have hyperkalemia and AKI following urosepsis requiring hemodialysis.