hypokalaemia
hypokalaemia
see also:
1g KCl = ~13mmol K+
all intravenous potassium chloride should be prescribed in millimols
potassium chloride should not be administered at a rate greater than 10mmol/hour in adults on general wards
the maximum peripheral concentration of potassium chloride solution is 10mmol/100ml
an IV monitoring pump must be used when administering potassium chloride infusion
do not commence potassium supplementation if there is a risk of renal failure preventing normal excretion and risking potentially fatal
hyperkalaemia - check there is good urine output first!
to minimise risk of inadvertent potentially fatal iv bolus doses of KCl (mistakenly thought to be NSaline or water), most hospitals have removed KCl ampoules and use pre-mixed KCl 10mmol in 100ml NSaline bags to avoid confusion.
aetiology of hypokalaemia
effects of hypokalaemia:
management of hypokalaemia
target serum potassium level
normal range for K+ is 3.5 to 5.5 mmol/L.
in certain circumstances, the minimum level is raised to 4.0mmol/L, for the following reasons:
hypokalaemia promotes electro-physiological instability. Significant complications include neuromuscular and cardiac dysrhythmia dysfunction (especially in patients on
digoxin).
critically ill patients or cardiac patients at high risk from adverse effects of hypokalaemia
usual potassium replacement guidelines for such ADULT patients
IV replacement for K
+ levels of 3.6 - 3.9 is indicated only in patients who:
These recommendations do not apply for certain conditions such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) as these usually have different guidelines
serum K+ in mmol/L | oral replacement | IV replacement (see note above) |
3.5 or less | nil | 30mmol over 3hrs |
3.6 | 4 Slow K tablets | or 20mmol over 2hrs |
3.7 | 3 Slow K tablets | or 20mmol over 2hrs |
3.8 | 2 Slow K tablets | or 10mmol over 2hrs |
3.9 | 1 Slow K tablet | or 10mmol over 2hrs |
hypokalaemia.txt · Last modified: 2019/08/17 16:27 (external edit)