HYPERKALEMIA DUE TO EXCESSIVE INTAKE OF SWEET POTATO AND BANANA

One of the causes of hyperkalemia in patients with impaired renal function includes the excessive consumption of foods containing large amounts of potassium. We report the case of an 81-year-old man with chronic kidney disease brought by ambulance for weakness and difficulty walking. The patient has a history of congestive heart failure and hypertension; he was taking a potassium-sparing diuretic, along with an angiotensin II receptor blocker and a calcium channel blocker for hypertension. At presentation he was found to be hyperkalemic and was given life-saving emergency hemodialysis. It was found that the patient had consumed more than 500 g of sweet potatoes and two bananas on a daily basis starting one week before. The patient was educated not to consume too much of either food, as both contain large amounts of potassium, and he was discharged five days after initial presentation. Since this time, there have been no signs of hyperkalemia. Practitioners should exercise caution when administering drugs for chronic kidney disease patients who may have high potassium levels. Such patients should be instructed to refrain from excessive intake of foods with high potassium content.