Treatment of Hyperkalemia with Drugs

Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
Updated on September 01, 2024
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Hyperkalemia primarily affects the conduction of the heart and muscle nerves, with typical clinical manifestations including severe bradycardia, atrioventricular block, and even sinus arrest. Once hyperkalemia occurs clinically, immediate treatment should be administered. The first approach to treatment is promoting the excretion of potassium, using furosemide or other diuretics to increase renal potassium excretion, and taking a small dose of sodium polystyrene sulfonate orally to eliminate potassium. For life-threatening severe hyperkalemia, if serum potassium is greater than 6.5 mmol/L, hemodialysis treatment is necessary. The second aspect involves shifting potassium into cells, using calcium to alter cell excitability, which can protect the heart from the damage to the conduction system caused by hyperkalemia. Additionally, using glucose with insulin and administering sodium bicarbonate can be effective. It is important to note that all the above medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Causes of Hyperkalemia

Common causes of hyperkalemia in clinical settings include: First, it is related to excessive intake. Generally, a high-potassium diet under normal kidney function does not cause hyperkalemia. It only occurs when there is excessive or rapid intravenous potassium supplementation, or when kidney function is impaired. Second, hyperkalemia caused by reduced excretion. Common reasons include renal failure, lack of adrenocortical hormones, and primary renal tubular potassium secretion disorders, all of which can cause hyperkalemia. Third, a large transfer of potassium ions from inside the cells to the outside can also cause hyperkalemia.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Treatment of Hyperkalemia with Drugs

Hyperkalemia primarily affects the conduction of the heart and muscle nerves, with typical clinical manifestations including severe bradycardia, atrioventricular block, and even sinus arrest. Once hyperkalemia occurs clinically, immediate treatment should be administered. The first approach to treatment is promoting the excretion of potassium, using furosemide or other diuretics to increase renal potassium excretion, and taking a small dose of sodium polystyrene sulfonate orally to eliminate potassium. For life-threatening severe hyperkalemia, if serum potassium is greater than 6.5 mmol/L, hemodialysis treatment is necessary. The second aspect involves shifting potassium into cells, using calcium to alter cell excitability, which can protect the heart from the damage to the conduction system caused by hyperkalemia. Additionally, using glucose with insulin and administering sodium bicarbonate can be effective. It is important to note that all the above medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Common symptoms of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia

The common symptoms of hyperkalemia and hypokalemia, mainly seen in severe cases of high or low potassium, manifest as neurological and muscular symptoms as well as circulatory system symptoms, which are fairly similar in both conditions. If the blood potassium is particularly low, less than 2.0 mmol per liter, it can lead to reduced or absent reflexes. In severe cases, this may progress to paralysis of the respiratory muscles, causing respiratory pump failure. For hyperkalemia, particularly severe cases may also present with swallowing difficulties and respiratory distress. These central nervous system issues can lead to confusion and fainting. Another similar issue is the impact on the circulatory system; severe hypokalemia can cause ventricular tachycardia and even ventricular fibrillation, leading to death. In hyperkalemia, the impact on the cardiovascular system primarily causes malignant tachycardia and can also result in ventricular fibrillation. The main cause of sudden death in hyperkalemia is ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest, demonstrating that severe hyperkalemia and hypokalemia similarly cause significant arrhythmic conditions in the heart.

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Written by Chen Li Ping
Endocrinology
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How is hyperkalemia treated?

For hyperkalemia, commonly used clinical treatments include firstly diuretics, which increase the excretion of potassium, thus increasing its discharge from the body. Additionally, hypertonic glucose with insulin is used intravenously to facilitate the movement of potassium from outside to inside the cells. Sodium bicarbonate can also be used to correct acidosis, which can likewise reduce blood potassium levels. When hyperkalemia causes ventricular arrhythmias, calcium injections should be administered immediately to counteract the cardiac toxicity of high potassium. If these treatments do not result in significant effects and the condition is critical, emergency hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis can be performed to lower blood potassium levels. (Medication should be administered under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Common Causes of Hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is when the serum potassium concentration exceeds 5.5 millimoles per liter. Common causes include excessive potassium intake and large doses of potassium salts, which can lead to hyperkalemia, as well as the use of stored blood. Another cause is reduced potassium excretion; in patients with renal insufficiency, reduced urine output or anuria leads to decreased renal potassium excretion. If potassium supplementation is inappropriate at this time, or if potassium-sparing diuretics are used, severe hyperkalemia can occur. Another scenario is the leakage of intracellular potassium during respiratory and metabolic acidosis, where sodium ion exchange occurs in cells, hydrogen ions enter the cells, and potassium ions leak out to the extracellular space, which can lead to increased blood potassium. These are the common causes of hyperkalemia.