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Whats New In Potassium
This document summarizes the case of a patient transferred from a nursing home with altered mental status, decreased oral intake, and diarrhea. Initial labs show acute renal failure, metabolic acidosis, and hyponatremia. A repeat potassium level comes back at 9.9 mEq/L. Immediate treatment for hyperkalemia should include calcium chloride or gluconate given every 5 minutes until the EKG normalizes, with the exception of patients with digoxin toxicity or contraindications to calcium. While EKGs have low sensitivity for detecting hyperkalemia, changes may include peaked T waves, PR and QRS widening, and sine wave patterns. Insulin with glucose can also be used to induce intracellular potassium
