If high serum potassium then what?

[Cbishop3]

If someone has high serum potassium, does that mean that their cells are somewhat depleted in it? I'm just studying up on IV solutions and was getting a little confused.

[mentalhealthRN]

That mean a high level in the blood I believe. Which requires intervention if high enough--including an EGK to see if the level has effected the heart--which can be dangerous. Treatments include:

• Cation-exchange resin medications, such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) -- to attach to potassium and cause it to be removed from the gastrointestinal tract
  
• Dialysis -- to reduce total body potassium levels, especially if kidney function is compromised
  
• Diuretic medications (water pills) -- to decrease total body potassium
  
• Intravenous calcium -- to temporarily treat muscle and heart effects of hyperkalemia
  
• Intravenous glucose and insulin -- to reverse severe symptoms long enough to correct the cause of the hyperkalemia
  
• Sodium bicarbonate -- to reverse hyperkalemia caused by acidosis
  

As far as the causes here is a link with the causes--there a a number. Its important to find out WHY a person's K+ is high and not only treat the actual level but see if its possible to treat the condition that caused it.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001179.htm

this should give you the info you need.

Hope this helped.

[MunoRN, RN]

We can't measure intracellular metabolism directly, which is why we rely on serum potassium levels for routine assessment of overall potassium levels, even though the vast majority of potassium is located within the cells, not in the serum.

For the most part, serum potassium levels and intracellular potassium levels exist in a fairly predictable ratio.

As in the above example which is from an otherwise reputable source (NIH), cation exchange resins are still a popular treatment for severe hyperkalemia, even though there is no evidence to support their use and there are potentially severe side effects (colon necrosis). Evidence based front line treatments are IV insulin/glucose and inhaled beta agonists such as alubertol. Emergency interventions for hyperkalaemia

[Cbishop3]

Thanks for the information!!:)