[Intraerythrocytic potassium and diuretic therapy]. / Potássio intra-eritrocitário e diureticoterapia.

Diuretic-induced hypokalemia is one of the most common and important disturbances during antihypertensive therapy. However, it has been suggested that determination of serum potassium levels may not reflect significant changes of its intracellular concentration. This study was performed to evaluate whether there is any change of red cell potassium concentration as compared to serum potassium levels, in ten patients receiving chlorthalidone, 25 mg/day, during 4 weeks. Significant antihypertensive effect was achieved and despite serum potassium levels less than 3.5 mEq/1 occurred in four patients, no significant change in intracellular concentration of potassium was observed in this population with essential hypertension.

Eficacia da nifedipina, bloqueador de ions calcio, em emergencia hipertensiva. / Efficacy of nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, in hypertensive emergencies

O efeito anti-hipertensivo da nifedipina, um bloqueador de calcio, foi avaliado em 14 pacientes com emergencia hipertensiva.Dez mg de nifedipina sublingual reduziu a pressao arterial media de 225/144 para 202,1/130,9mmHg aos 30 minutos e para 177,8/114,5mmHg aos 180 minutos e para 188,4/121,7mmHg aos 360 minutos sem nenhuma alteracao significativa da frequencia cardiaca. Assim, conclui-se que o uso da nifedipina pode ser uma droga util e uma conduta adequada nas emergencias hipertensivas, particularmente quando nao se dispoe de cuidados de monitoragem intensivos