Effect of Low Potassium Diet on Cyclopropane-Epinephrine Ventricular Tachycardia and Arterial Plasma Potassium in Dogs. ∗

Abstract

Summary

The effect of a low potassium diet of 2 to 3 weeks duration on cyclopropane-epinephrine ventricular tachycardia and arterial plasma potassium has been studied in 20 dogs. Eleven dogs were protected from the arrhythmias while on the diet and 9 were not. In the protected group the K mobilized by epinephrine was considerably reduced. In the non-protected group the per cent rise in K was on the average approximately the same as in control. It is concluded that these studies confirm the view that an actual or relative increase in plasma potassium contributes, at least in part, to the increased cardiac sensitivity to epinephrine during cyclopropane anesthesia.