Which electrolyte disturbance can occur with sorbitol administration?

Which electrolyte disturbance can occur with sorbitol administration?

• A. Hyperkalemia
• B. Hypernatremia
• C. Hyponatremia
• D. Hypokalemia

Answer: (D)

Sorbitol works as an osmotic laxative, pulling water into the intestinal lumen and producing frequent, watery stools. This increased stool output leads to significant loss of potassium in the GI tract. With ongoing diarrhea from sorbitol, the body can’t keep up with potassium losses, causing a drop in serum potassium—hypokalemia. That’s the classic electrolyte change you’d expect with sorbitol administration. Hyperkalemia isn’t typical here because the problem isn’t potassium retention or a shift into cells; hypernatremia could be seen with dehydration but isn’t the characteristic change linked to the osmotic laxative effect, and hyponatremia doesn’t usually arise from this mechanism.

Sorbitol works as an osmotic laxative, pulling water into the intestinal lumen and producing frequent, watery stools. This increased stool output leads to significant loss of potassium in the GI tract. With ongoing diarrhea from sorbitol, the body can’t keep up with potassium losses, causing a drop in serum potassium—hypokalemia. That’s the classic electrolyte change you’d expect with sorbitol administration.

Hyperkalemia isn’t typical here because the problem isn’t potassium retention or a shift into cells; hypernatremia could be seen with dehydration but isn’t the characteristic change linked to the osmotic laxative effect, and hyponatremia doesn’t usually arise from this mechanism.