My patient is not conscious, suffered a TIA and is having very high levels of potassium . He has previously suffered stroke and is a known diabetic Type 2 as well as hypertensive. At the moment, the gums and feet are bleeding? Doctors think that this may be kidney failure. I would want to be helped to understand the gravity of the situation.
Hi, Thanks for posting your query. Your treating doctor is right...your patient is already suffering from diabetes and hyperkalemia (increased potassium) is very common in renal failure. Your patient is unconscious and has gum & feet bleeding, there may be high chances of intracranial bleed making patient unconscious. You should go for CT/ MRI brain to rule out bleed. You should also go for bleeding time, clotting time, prothrombin time to clarify the cause. Yes, your patient is serious and bleeding is not a good sign. You should also go for liver function test, renal function test, complete blood count also. You patient needs intensive care. Take care,