Question

Digitalis toxicity is aggravated by

• A. Hypokalemia
• B. Hyponatremia
• C. Hypocalcemia
• D. Hypomagnesemia

Hint:

When treating digitalis toxicity, correcting hypokalemia is a priority, as it can exacerbate the toxicity and increase the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding Digitalis toxicity.
Digitalis toxicity occurs when there is too much digitalis (a drug used to treat heart conditions) in the body. It can cause arrhythmias and other serious heart problems.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.

• (A) Hypokalemia: Correct. Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) can increase the effects of digitalis and increase the risk of toxicity. Potassium competes with digitalis for binding to the Na+/K+ ATPase pump, so low potassium increases the likelihood of toxicity.
• (B) Hyponatremia: Incorrect. While sodium levels are important for heart function, hyponatremia does not significantly aggravate digitalis toxicity.
• (C) Hypocalcemia: Incorrect. While calcium levels affect cardiac function, hypocalcemia does not directly increase the risk of digitalis toxicity.
• (D) Hypomagnesemia: Incorrect. Low magnesium levels can affect the heart, but hypomagnesemia does not significantly worsen digitalis toxicity compared to hypokalemia.

Step 3: Conclusion.
Hypokalemia is the most important electrolyte imbalance that worsens digitalis toxicity, making it the correct answer. Final Answer:} Hypokalemia.