What does hyperkalemia mean?
Q: What does hyperkalemia mean?
A: Hyperkalemia is a medical term that indicates that the level of potassium in the blood is too high.
Q: Why is hyperkalemia a medical emergency?
A: Depending on the level of potassium in the blood, hyperkalemia can be a medical emergency because it can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, which can be deadly.
Q: What are the causes of hyperkalemia?
A: Many medications can cause hyperkalemia, and it is much more likely to occur in people with kidney problems.
Q: Does hyperkalemia always cause symptoms?
A: Hyperkalemia often doesn't cause symptoms, but doctors worry about it because it can cause a sudden change of heart rhythm in people who had not been having any symptoms.
Q: What can happen if hyperkalemia causes abnormal heart rhythms?
A: Hyperkalemia can cause abnormal heart rhythms that can be deadly.
Q: Why might hyperkalemia be artificially induced?
A: In cases where death penalty is carried out using lethal injection, a hyperkalemia may be provoked artificially because some of the mixtures used in the injections contain potassium chloride, which will raise the level of potassium in the blood considerably.
Q: What is the danger of inducing hyperkalemia through lethal injection?
A: Inducing hyperkalemia through lethal injection can cause abnormal heart rhythms, which can be deadly.
