Potassium level in patients with cholestatic Jaundice in Khartoum state

Abstract

This study was conducted in patients from Ibn siena and Soba hospitals, Khartoum –Sudan during the period from 20th November to 18th January, fifty Sudanese patients with obstructive jaundice aged (16-90 yrs),mean ± SD(47± 19), (fifty percent were males) were included in this study as case group. Fifty apparently healthy volunteers were included in this study as control group. In this study plasma bilirubin and plasma potassium level were measured in 50 patients with obstructive jaundice and 50 normal subjects as controls. Plasma bilirubin was measured with Jendrassik–grof method, and plasma potassium was measured by flame photometry. In patient group, plasma bilirubin level was found to be high and significantly higher than in control group and than normal value due to obstruction that stops the passage of bilirubin. Potassium level in patients group was found to be lower than in control group and the difference were statistically significant. Most probably, this is due to the effect of obstructive jaundice in renal tubular functions.