The kidneys effectively remove excess potassium, so the risk of toxicity from dietary intake is usually low.
However, malfunctioning kidneys or an excess of intravenous potassium can cause hyperkalemia, or high concentration of potassium in the blood or excess of serum potassium.
It is commonly observed in patients with impaired renal function.
One of the most common causes of reported hyperkalemia is pseudo-hyperkalemia-related hemolysis or clot formation.
Because severe hyperkalemia can slow and eventually stop the heart, people suffer from kidney failure must monitor their potassium intake carefully.
Hyperkalemia produces symptoms that, paradoxically, are very similar to those of hypokalemia; interference with muscular function, manifested by paralysis and loss of deep tendon reflexes. The main problem, however, is the interference with cardiac action.
Hyperkalemia is common in the inpatient setting and can be life threatening due to fatal arrhythmias; therefore, diagnosis and subsequent treatment must be expedient.
Hyperkalemia has many causes including, kidney problems, too much acid in the blood, trauma -especially crush injuries or burns, Addison’s disease, and certain medications.
Hyperkalemia can result from: decreased or impaired potassium excretion, addition of potassium into extracellular space – potassium supplement or hemolysis, trans-membrane shifts and pseudo-hyperkalemia.
The ‘cocktail’ of drugs administered during execution by lethal sometimes includes potassium.
Hyperkalemia
