I.V.
Therapy Demystified
biod to
fOf11l
HCL
n.e
pati.nt
with
""""bo
l
ic
",,;oo,i. and hyperohloremia
therefore may
ahibit
t""hy"",,'
that
",fl.cr.
an effon to
com""n
..
te by
b
l
owin~
off carbon dioxide.
r"",ltin~
in
respin
tory
.1
••
100i
•.
Potassium Balance
"
Pot=ium
i. the major intracellular cation,
lOOeed.
intr>rollular po",
..
ium
",,·.1. ex.,.,.,,]
oxtrxellular
lewl.
by o,""r
JQ
ti
.....
, Normal serum poussium 1",·.1.
are approximately 3,5_S,0
mEq/L
Pouss
i
um
has
.n
importan' role
in
e",urin~
appropri.te oardi"" ""lIul
..
exci
ubi
lity
..
,,'ell
os
ok."""1 and .moooh muscle
c""tIXti"","
Bec
.....
cardi"".
"ek"'l,
and .mooIh mu",1e cel
l>
"'"
..
quisitely
..
n.itive to the infl
...
oce.
of
poI .
..
ium.
""'min~ly
mi
oo.-
de,il1ion.
from oocm.1
..
rum 1
",
..
1. may
ha
..
major imJ»C"
OIl
oocmol coliular beha,;c... panieularly
cardi"" ""lIul
..
excitability and impulse
roOOOC1ion.
HYPOKALEMIA
H)'P0lcakmia
oocun
"Oen
..
rum poI
...
ium
le",l.
are Ie
..
than 3.5 mEqIL
and i
...
ideoced
by
depre.sed eardi""
acitability
and dec
..
"",d
smoo<h
and
"ele"l
muscle
COIl
traction, Boc,u
..
,he body e.nOOl
.tore
poI=ium.
g."roin
t
c"in.1
los,
of
poussium
through vomiting
or
di •
..m..
can
",pidly
e.u",
hypobl<mi
•. In odditioo.
bee,u",
,he rcn.1 tubule. cxorete exec
..
diet",),
pota
..
ium, u""
of
lcop
diuretic
••
1",
m.y
""""ntuate
po
...
sium tubu
lar
exoretion
and cau""
hypoblemia.
The
..
and other etiologie • • nd clinical
m.nife
.... t
ioo.
of
hy
po
••
lemi. are l
i"ed
in
T.b
le 2_4.
n.e
.arlie"
clinic.1 m:utife .... tioo
of
hy
po
hl
em
i.
i • • n
..
ymplom
at
i<
depre
..
ion
of
,he T
"'
.
'"
00 the electrocardiogram
(ECG), A t),pical IiCG complex
fC4"
• !"'tien'
"'
i
th
hypoblemi.
i. com!",red with
• oomtltl ECG
oompb
in
Fi~,
2_3
la
\ Fir"_IiDe treatment
of
h)'poh
lemi'
""01,
..
"
..
ound
odmini"
..
tioo
of
onl
poI .
..
ium
.uppk...,n"
os
the
most
effecti,.., and
Ie
. " rostly treatment.
H"""",r.
many
J»
t
ien"
o.nOOl
,olerate
onl
pota
..
ium .gents,
n.e""
patients may need to
reoei"" poI
...
ium
'upple"",n,,1
.gents
in
t
..
,
..
""",ly.
Bee.u",
of
i" profound
effect>
on
o
..
di""
<xc
i
ubi
lit
y,
I,
V,
p<>t.assium
mu"
he
admini<lered cau'iou.ly. and
pa
t
ien"
tre. ted
thu.
should he pla<ed on COIltin",,",
e.rdi""
II»Ilitc.-ing.
Pou..ium
"",
..
r may
be
odmini"ered by
LV.
pu.h
C4"
by bolu.
dose
•. Ratber.
poI
...
ium shouk!
be odmiwd
with
an
LV.
",Iu
tioo and admini"ered by
an
infu,ion
"""troller
or
e""trooic
infu.ion device (i,e"
LV.
pump)'"
",'e
001
to exceed
10}
mEqlh.
In
e
.....
wbere • !",tient
i,
""
..
rely
hypobl.mi<
and the infu.ion c. n he administered
,i
••
cen,
...
1 line. then the odmini.tratioo
..
te
may be incre.sed to
20
mEqlh.