Hyperkalemia Treatment Is A Critical Part Of Emergency Department

 

Hyperkalemia Treatment

Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte abnormality that requires urgent intervention and specific management directed at the underlying cause of elevated serum potassium. Treatment options include administration of IV calcium, insulin, sodium bicarbonate, albuterol, and diuretics. Although the most common cause of hyperkalemia is decreased renal function, other causes exist including medication use, acidosis, cell breakdown (e.g., hemolysis and rhabdomyolysis), and endocrinological disorders such as hypoaldosteronism and hypocortisolism.

Hyperkalemia Treatment is a critical component of emergency department care. Patients who develop hyperkalemia are at risk for serious complications, including ventricular fibrillation and asystole. Despite the risks, many patients with hyperkalemia are successfully treated. The goal of hyperkalemia treatment is to stabilize the body at the cellular level, move potassium from the extracellular space to the intracellular space, and excrete excess potassium. Loop diuretics, or water pills, are another option to get rid of the extra potassium in the body. These pills work by helping the kidney make more urine. They are usually given along with calcium gluconate or albuterol to lower potassium levels.

The Hyperkalemia Treatment requires a thorough history and physical examination with an emphasis on volume status. Laboratory tests are essential to determine the causes of increased potassium, to rule out renal failure and alternative sources of potassium imbalance (e.g., potassium-elevating drugs), and to monitor treatment progress and outcomes.

Patients with oliguric acute kidney injury are particularly susceptible to developing hyperkalemia because of reduced distal tubular delivery of water and sodium. The reduction in sodium and water impairs potassium secretion, thereby increasing the risk of hyperkalemia and cardiac arrhythmias. A low-potassium diet is a good way to reduce the risk of getting hyperkalemia Medications can cause or contribute to hyperkalemia, but most often it is caused by drugs that affect the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. These drugs can include medicines for high blood pressure, cancer, lupus, and inflammatory conditions.

Other drugs can also cause hyperkalemia. For example, spironolactone and eplerenone block the activity of aldosterone at the level of the mineralocorticoid receptor and can lead to increased serum potassium levels. Drospirenone, a non-testosterone-derived progestin that is contained in certain oral contraceptives, can also cause hyperkalemia.

Consequently, the use of loop diuretics, which enhance potassium excretion, should be considered in patients with renal failure and hyperkalemia until such time as the patient can be stabilized. However, patient with severe hyperkalemia may respond to these agents only after he has undergone emergency medical care and has been on Hyperkalemia Treatment for the underlying cause of the hyperkalemia.