[A woman with pareses of the arms and legs].

Background: Hypokalemic pareses are caused by low extracellular potassium levels which reduce the resting membrane potential of muscle cells and make them less excitable. It may be caused by an intracellular shift of potassium, renal potassium loss, reduced potassium intake or increased gastrointestinal loss.

Case Presentation: A woman in her 60s presented with rapid-onset tetraparesis and hyporeflexia starting the day before admission.