Severe Hypokalemic Paralysis Following Rituximab Infusion in a Patient with Type I RTA

Authors

Ayham Alsaab, HCA HealthcareFollow
Yousuf Sherwani, HCA HealthcareFollow
Emily Devine, HCA HealthcareFollow
Sarah Faheem
Vikas Gullapalli
Mohan Sengodan, HCA HealthcareFollow

Files

Division

North Texas

Hospital

Medical City Arlington

Specialty

Internal Medicine

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2025

Keywords

rituximab, drug related side effects and adverse reactions, autoimmune diseases

Disciplines

Chemicals and Drugs | Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

Rituximab is a CD-20 monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of _. Rituximab is a steroid-sparing agent that can be used to control a variety of diseases. (find sources but I found several possible uses). As with any therapy, there are side effects. One potential side effect of Rituximab that has only been described a few times in the literature is hypokalemia. One such report is a case report from 2020 that describes symptomatic hypokalemia in an 18-year-old female with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome after her 6th rituximab infusion, with K dropping from 4.0 prior to infusion to 2.3 at the time of symptoms. Did have prior history of dizziness, hypotension and pre-syncopal symptoms after 2 infusions but these were deemed not relevant clinically. The other is a _ conduct by the Saudi Arabia __ that proposes a possibility of rituximab causing hypokalemia, however, does note that these patient’s were also receiving additional chemotherapy agents that These were all in patients with other causes of hypokalemia such as co-administration with another chemotherapy agent or in a patient with underlying nephropathy? Further research should be done potentially on the need for closer monitoring of these patients post transfusion. The purpose of this case is to educate other on the potential electrolyte abnormalities caused by rituximab as these abnormalities can be life threatening. Here we present a case of severe hypokalemia in a patient with underlying Type 1 RTA.

Original Publisher

HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education

Recommended Citation

Alsaab, Ayham; Sherwani, Yousuf; Devine, Emily; Faheem, Sarah; Gullapalli, Vikas; and Sengodan, Mohan, "Severe Hypokalemic Paralysis Following Rituximab Infusion in a Patient with Type I RTA" (2025). North Texas Research Forum 2025. 59.
https://scholarlycommons.hcahealthcare.com/northtexas2025/59