Severe Hypokalemia Probably Associated With Sertraline Use

Objective: To report a case of ventricular fibrillation caused by severe hypokalemia probably associated with sertraline use. Case Summary: A 48-year-old male patient experienced ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest 2 hours after an uneventful coronary angiography procedure, which revealed normal, unobstructed coronary arteries. Blood chemistry was immediately obtained, revealing a very low potassium (K+) level of 2.44 mEq/L. Other blood electrolytes, including magnesium, ECG, and corrected QT intervals, were all within normal limits. A thorough search for an etiology of hypokalemia, including adrenal gland causes, herbal product consumption, and toxic exposure, did not reveal any identifiable cause. This led us to consider the only drug he was on—sertraline 50 mg per day—as the possible culprit. Discussion: There has been no clear identification of severe hypokalemia associated with sertraline use in the literature. However, there have been a considerable number of self-reported cases of hypokalem...