Case Report: A literature review of the medical complications arising from etomidate-laced vapes and two case studies of hypokalemia associated with etomidate use - Summary - MDSpire
Advertisement
Case Report: A literature review of the medical complications arising from etomidate-laced vapes and two case studies of hypokalemia associated with etomidate use
To report cases of asymptomatic hypokalemia in patients using etomidate-laced vaporizers and to highlight the associated medical issues.
Approach:
Key Findings:
Both patients exhibited asymptomatic hypokalemia (serum potassium levels of 2.9 mmol/L and 3.3 mmol/L).
Both patients presented with diffuse and palmer crease hyperpigmentation, indicative of potential adrenal dysfunction.
Interpretation:
The findings suggest that asymptomatic hypokalemia may be a common but overlooked complication in patients misusing etomidate-laced vaporizers, necessitating early screening.
Limitations:
The study is based on a small sample size of two case reports.
The findings may not be generalizable to all populations due to regional differences in etomidate use.
Conclusion:
Early screening for hypokalemia in patients using etomidate-laced vaporizers is important to prevent severe adrenal complications.
A large audit of biomedical publications suggests fabricated references are increasingly appearing in peer-reviewed papers — often in ways that are difficult for reviewers and readers to detect.
