Question about Potassium/Dialysate Baths

[ChineseNurse]

I am a medical surgical nurse and recently a dialysis rn asked me to check the potassium packets for her so she can put it in her "dialysate" bath(?) (it's a gallon of clear liquid).

I told her I wasn't comfortable doing this because I dont know the equivalent of K that should be in each dialysate bottle. There were no parameters shown to me to be follow either.

I understand K level is 3.5 to 5.5. If a potassium level is too low, I know to replace it with either a tablet or powder packet.

I was just uncomfortable with the equivalency from regular potassium replacement vs a potassium dialystate situation.

Please shed some light.

Thanks!

[zimm4er]

you were right to not want to do this. Dialysis is a speciality just like Surgical nursing. I would not feel comfortable in your world. The jug a liquid is acid, it can have different potassium. Then you add the packets to change the bath to what the doctor ordered. The packets come in different Potassium amounts.

Unless you are in dialysis this is too much too be doing on the fly.

[jdethman]

I am a medical surgical nurse and recently a dialysis rn asked me to check the potassium packets for her so she can put it in her "dialysate" bath(?) (it's a gallon of clear liquid).

I told her I wasn't comfortable doing this because I dont know the equivalent of K that should be in each dialysate bottle. There were no parameters shown to me to be follow either.

I understand K level is 3.5 to 5.5. If a potassium level is too low, I know to replace it with either a tablet or powder packet.

I was just uncomfortable with the equivalency from regular potassium replacement vs a potassium dialystate situation.

Please shed some light.

Thanks!

Potassium baths are set by order or protocol. The additive is used to create a bath when premade are not available at a given hospital. How much the potassium is raised is on the packet normally from 0.5-1.0 the current potassium is written on the on the jug of clear liquid normally 0-3.0. So did the nephrologist wants a 4k bath, the bath must be raised by one. So if the packet says 0.5 you need to raise it by two packets. You must check to make sure the packet is set for volume on jug. The above poster believe you should not sign off on this unless you are a dialysis nurse this is unrealistic. At a small hospital an on call acute nurse must have a non-dialysis trained nurse sign off on all potassium baths if that is protocol. Another dialysis nurse might be hours away. How this all works is written on the box is or packet that the potassium additive comes in, it is just like reconstituting any other med. The direction can also be found in the policy and procedure manual in the dialysis room, closet or where every they keep there stuff.