Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that the human body needs to function properly. Staff members take blood samples to check the amount of potassium in the body. If the level is too high or too low, the staff may make changes to medicines or fluids that the patient is receiving.

Hypokalemia (not enough potassium in the blood)

Hypokalemia can occur:

• If there is a sudden increase in the amount of fluid received
• When you are taking certain medicines
• If your kidneys are not working well
• If you have a loss of body fluids from extended vomiting, diarrhea, or NG drainage

Medicines that may cause a decrease in the blood potassium level are diuretics (water pills), insulin, and amphotericin B.

The staff can give you potassium to increase the amount of this mineral in the blood. It is available in these forms:

• 10-mg and 20-mg tablets (Micro-K® or K-Dur®)
• A liquid taken by mouth
• A powder (Neutra Phos®)
• A clear liquid given by vein (IV)
  
  Hyperkalemia (too much potassium in the blood)
  
  Hyperkalemia can occur:
• If your kidneys are not working well
• When you are taking certain medications
• If you have tumor lysis syndrome (a fast killing of cancer cells).
• Medicines that may cause an increase in blood potassium are triamterene, spironolactone, and albuterol. Blood pressure lowering agents called ACE inhibitors can also cause an increase in potassium. These include captopril, enalapril, benazepril, and lisinopril.
• To decrease potassium in the blood, staff members can give you sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate®), a cherry-flavored liquid.