Potassium: its relevance for arrhythmias complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Potassium plays a critical role in cellular electrophysiology. Clinically, serious cardiac rhythm disturbances are a well-recognised complication of profound hypokalaemia. Recent research has focussed on the possibility that serious ventricular arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, might be caused by the hypokalaemia that occurs in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Proof of this association would be a strong impetus to develop interventions that might stabilise potassium values in an attempt to produce an antiarrhythmic effect.