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Discussion

Question on iv fluids

I'm curious as to why a patient would be receiving D51/2 NS w/ 20 mEq KCl at 125 ml/hour if the K+ was normal at 4.6 mmol/L??

Patient was admitted for acute abdominal pain...

Thanks!!

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  • Author

Thanks Daytonite....I actually have that chart saved but was just curious about the 20 meq of KCl...why would they add that if the K is normal? Still just maintenance....to prevent it from going low?

I would think to keep it in normal range, because the fluids could cause it to get low from cellular shifts without it. 125cc/hr is a pretty good amount of fluid that is 3,000 ml in 24hrs. Just a guess.

  • Experts

Potassium needs to be replaced some way. If the patient is admitted with abdominal pain and is NPO he is not going to be getting a banana with breakfast every day. Serum Potassium won't stay normal for long.

remember the sodium potassium pump...your body saves sodium and gets rid of the K+ so if you are not eating your K+ will drop. Remember you are looking at extracellular levels as K+ is an intracellular cation

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