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Low-dose steroid-induced bradyarrhythmias and treatment refractory hypokalaemia: a case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2020

Arindam Ghosh
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India
Saba Annigeri*
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India
Anupama Nair
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India
*
Author for correspondence: Saba Annigeri, Department of Paediatrics, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Tel: +919483477054. E-mail: annigerisaba@gmail.com

Abstract

Corticosteroid therapy has become an important modality of treatment for diseases in which rapid control of immunoinflammatory processes is required. However, one of the serious, but less known adverse effect of this therapy is cardiac arrhythmias. This includes both tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias. Corticosteroid use may also be associated with electrolyte imbalances like hypokalaemia by its mineralocorticoid activity. Those side effects are mainly seen with high-dose intravenous methyl-prednisolone or oral pulse dose prednisolone therapy. Here we report our experience in a child with warm idiopathic autoimmune haemolytic anaemia who developed sinus bradyarrhythmias and treatment refractory hypokalaemia during low-dose steroid therapy with reduction in heart rate by 60% of baseline.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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