Objectives: To analyze the independent factors for the severity of paralysis in the patients with hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOPP).
Methods: Eighty patients admitted with HOPP were reviewed. Using univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, the independent factors for the severity of paralysis were revealed.
Results: A total of 76 cases were male and 4 female with a mean age of (26.3 +/- 4.5) years. Univariate analysis showed that patients with low serum magnesium level, low serum potassium level, high serum creatine kinase level, changes of electrocardiogram, chest distress and palpitation, nausea and vomiting as well as muscular soreness had more severe paralysis, while multivariate analysis revealed that serum magnesium < 0.8 mmol/L (OR 8.3, 95%CI 1.0 - 68.4, P < 0.05), serum potassium 1.5 - 1.8 mmol/L (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 - 16.0, P < 0.01) and serum creatine kinase > 200 U/L (OR 1.1, 95%CI 1.0 - 1.1, P < 0.01) were the independent factors for the severity of paralysis.
Conclusion: Low serum magnesium level, low serum potassium level and high serum creatine kinase level are the independent risk factors for more severe paralysis in patients with HOPP.