In article <22JUN94.17885867.0016.MUSIC at music.ferris.edu>,
Fonner, Douglas <DFONNER at MUSIC.FERRIS.EDU> wrote:
>Nurses in a class I teach claim that cramping is frequent symptom of
>hypokalemia in their patients. According to the Nernst equation and
>everything I've read, hypokalemia should hyperpolarize membranes and
>decrease excitability. I seem to be missing something. I would greatly
>appreciate any information regarding this matter.
>>Thanks, D. Fonner
>
I think perhaps they mean HypoCALCAemia, which does cause increased
excitability. As far as I remember, this is due to changes in the
distribution of +ve charge across the membrane, destabilising it.
Hope this helps,
Will O'Brien
Selwyn College,
Cambridge,
ENGLAND.
