Acute Hyperkalemia and Hyponatremia Following Intraoperative Mannitol Administration

Intravenous mannitol may lead to electrolyte disturbances involving sodium and potassium and resulting in cardiac dysfunction. This report demonstrates that when mannitol is given during intracranial surgery it can cause large increase potassium ion concentration and decrease in sodium ion concentration in the absence of any other possible causes. Intraoperative checks of serum electrolyte levels, arterial blood gas analysis and electrocardiogram monitoring could be recommended to be done routinely when using mannitol.