How should hyperkalemia be managed?

Written by Zhao Xin Lan
Endocrinology
Updated on January 10, 2025
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First, it is necessary to assess the severity of the hyperkalemia, whether it is mild, moderate, or severe. For mild hyperkalemia, it can be managed by taking oral diuretics or intravenous infusion of glucose with insulin, which can normalize the potassium level.

In cases of severe hyperkalemia, where blood potassium exceeds 7.5 mmol/L, there is a risk of causing cardiac arrest. Emergency measures to promote potassium excretion are required, such as hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. It is also necessary to counteract the myocardial depressive effects of potassium, which can be managed with the injection of calcium gluconate, along with the intravenous infusion of hypertonic glucose and insulin.

(The use of medications should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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Clinical manifestations of hyperkalemia

The clinical manifestations of hyperkalemia mainly affect the cardiovascular system, often presenting with slowed heart rate and various arrhythmias. When the blood potassium level is between 6.6 and 8.0 mmol/L, a tent-shaped T-wave can be observed. Rapid increases in blood potassium can lead to ventricular tachycardia, and even ventricular fibrillation. A gradual increase in blood potassium can cause conduction blocks, and in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Sudden death in severe hyperkalemia is mainly due to ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. The second aspect is symptoms related to the neuromuscular system. As the concentration of potassium ions in the extracellular fluid increases, the resting membrane potential drops, leading to muscle weakness and even paralysis, typically more pronounced in the lower limbs and extending upward along the trunk. In severe cases, some patients may experience difficulty in swallowing and breathing difficulties. Symptoms involving the central nervous system mainly include restlessness, confusion, and fainting.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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The effect of hyperkalemia on the myocardium

The primary mechanism by which hyperkalemia causes arrhythmias is due to dysfunction of myocardial conduction, which is also related to various other factors such as other myocardial lesions, failure, and ionic states. The main impact on the myocardium is on its excitability; myocardial excitability can decrease or even disappear, and its conductivity is also affected, causing a reduction in conductivity. The effect on myocardial automaticity is a decrease in automaticity. Electrocardiographically, there are manifestations such as a low P wave, prolonged PR interval, and widened QRS complex without disappearance; these are some of the presentations of hyperkalemia.

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Written by Chen Li Ping
Endocrinology
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Can hyperkalemia be cured?

The main focus is on the cause of hyperkalemia. If hyperkalemia is due to consuming foods rich in potassium, administration of potassium-containing solutions, transfusion of stored blood, use of potassium-sparing diuretics like spironolactone, or prolonged venipuncture causing severe shaking of the blood sample during transport, addressing these causes can prevent the occurrence of hyperkalemia. If hyperkalemia is caused by certain diseases, such as renal failure or adrenal insufficiency, active treatment of the underlying disease is required. If the renal failure is acute, recovery of kidney function might prevent the recurrence of hyperkalemia. However, if there is chronic renal insufficiency, there tends to be a higher recurrence rate of hyperkalemia. Therefore, whether hyperkalemia can be cured largely depends on identifying the underlying cause.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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The difference between hyperkalemia and hypokalemia.

Hypokalemia refers to a serum potassium concentration lower than 3.5mmol/L, and its clinical manifestations are diverse. The most life-threatening symptoms involve the cardiac conduction system and the neuromuscular system. Mild hypokalemia shows on an electrocardiogram as flattened T waves and the appearance of U waves, while severe hypokalemia can lead to fatal arrhythmias, such as torsades de pointes and ventricular fibrillation. In terms of the neuromuscular system, the most prominent symptom of hypokalemia is the loss of tone in smooth muscles and flaccid paralysis in skeletal muscles, which, when involving respiratory muscles, can lead to respiratory failure. Hyperkalemia, on the other hand, refers to a serum potassium concentration exceeding 5.5mmol/L, mainly presenting clinical symptoms in cardiac and neuromuscular conduction. Severe cases can cause bradycardia, atrioventricular conduction block, and even sinus arrest. Mild hyperkalemia, with levels between 5.5 to 6.0mmol/L, shows on an electrocardiogram as peaked T waves. As hyperkalemia continues to increase, it can lead to lengthening of the PR interval or disappearance of the P wave, QRS widening, and eventually cardiac arrest. Regarding the neuromuscular system, the clinical manifestations of hyperkalemia are very similar to those of hypokalemia, including weakness and paralysis of skeletal and smooth muscles.

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Written by Wei Shi Liang
Intensive Care Unit
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The difference between hyperkalemia and hypokalemia

Potassium ions are one of the essential electrolytes necessary for human life. Their physiological functions include maintaining cell metabolism, regulating osmotic pressure and acid-base balance, and preserving cell emergency functions, among others. The normal concentration of serum potassium is between 3.5 and 5.5 millimoles per liter. If it falls below 3.5 millimoles per liter, it is categorized as hypokalemia. If it exceeds 5.5 millimoles per liter, it is categorized as hyperkalemia. Common causes of hypokalemia include insufficient potassium intake, excessive potassium excretion, and the shifting of potassium from outside to inside the cells. The main causes of hyperkalemia include increased intake or reduced excretion of potassium, as well as substantial movement of potassium from inside the cells to the outside. Whenever hyperkalemia or hypokalemia occurs, it should be actively managed.