Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia
Under normal conditions, potassium is predominantly found within cells. The concentration gradient of sodium and potassium ions between intracellular and extracellular spaces enables signal transmission through membrane depolarization. The disruption of this transcellular process leads to elevated p...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Małgorzata Żulicka Kamila Sobczak Dominik Kowalczyk Sylwia Sikorska Wioletta Arendt Marta Hałas-Wiśniewska |
| author_facet | Małgorzata Żulicka Kamila Sobczak Dominik Kowalczyk Sylwia Sikorska Wioletta Arendt Marta Hałas-Wiśniewska |
| author_sort | Małgorzata Żulicka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Under normal conditions, potassium is predominantly found within cells. The concentration gradient of sodium and potassium ions between intracellular and extracellular spaces enables signal transmission through membrane depolarization. The disruption of this transcellular process leads to elevated potassium ion levels in the extracellular space, and thus in the blood, a condition known as hyperkalemia. Clinically, hyperkalemia may present as cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and palpitations. The post-mortem accumulation of potassium ions in various human tissues and organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and vitreous body, particularly in cases of overdose, has been an area of research interest for years. Unfortunately, deaths caused by hyperkalemia are difficult to identify due to their non-specific symptoms and are often misinterpreted as cardiovascular-related. Furthermore, most potassium ion concentration tests developed in recent years are non-specific, have limitations, or are based on outdated techniques. Consequently, alternative methods, such as histopathological tissue analysis, potassium concentration assessment in the vitreous body, and aldosterone level measurement, show promise for improving the post-mortem detection of exogenous hyperkalemia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fb21b4ac310f497582a986daf9ecba3e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj-art-fb21b4ac310f497582a986daf9ecba3e2025-01-24T13:24:27ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-01-0113122210.3390/biomedicines13010222Detection of Deaths Caused by HyperkalemiaMałgorzata Żulicka0Kamila Sobczak1Dominik Kowalczyk2Sylwia Sikorska3Wioletta Arendt4Marta Hałas-Wiśniewska5Students Research Group of Cell Biology and Ultrastructure, Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, PolandStudents Research Group of Cell Biology and Ultrastructure, Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, PolandStudents Research Group of Cell Biology and Ultrastructure, Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, PolandMedical Laboratory for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Immunopathology and Genetics Unit, Central Clinical Hospital of the Medical University of Lodz, University of Lodz, 92-216 Lodz, PolandDepartment of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, PolandDepartment of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, PolandUnder normal conditions, potassium is predominantly found within cells. The concentration gradient of sodium and potassium ions between intracellular and extracellular spaces enables signal transmission through membrane depolarization. The disruption of this transcellular process leads to elevated potassium ion levels in the extracellular space, and thus in the blood, a condition known as hyperkalemia. Clinically, hyperkalemia may present as cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, and palpitations. The post-mortem accumulation of potassium ions in various human tissues and organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and vitreous body, particularly in cases of overdose, has been an area of research interest for years. Unfortunately, deaths caused by hyperkalemia are difficult to identify due to their non-specific symptoms and are often misinterpreted as cardiovascular-related. Furthermore, most potassium ion concentration tests developed in recent years are non-specific, have limitations, or are based on outdated techniques. Consequently, alternative methods, such as histopathological tissue analysis, potassium concentration assessment in the vitreous body, and aldosterone level measurement, show promise for improving the post-mortem detection of exogenous hyperkalemia.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/1/222hyperkalemiadeathpotassium ionspost-mortem |
| spellingShingle | Małgorzata Żulicka Kamila Sobczak Dominik Kowalczyk Sylwia Sikorska Wioletta Arendt Marta Hałas-Wiśniewska Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia Biomedicines hyperkalemia death potassium ions post-mortem |
| title | Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia |
| title_full | Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia |
| title_fullStr | Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia |
| title_short | Detection of Deaths Caused by Hyperkalemia |
| title_sort | detection of deaths caused by hyperkalemia |
| topic | hyperkalemia death potassium ions post-mortem |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/1/222 |
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