HYPERKALEMIA

Course overview

HYPERKALEMIA IS DEFINED AS A SERUM OR PLASMA POTASSIUM LEVEL ABOVE THE UPPER LIMITS OF NORMAL, USUALLY GREATER THAN 5.0 MEQ/L TO 5.5 MEQ/L. WHILE MILD HYPERKALEMIA IS USUALLY ASYMPTOMATIC, HIGH LEVELS OF POTASSIUM MAY CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS, MUSCLE WEAKNESS OR PARALYSIS. SYMPTOMS USUALLY DEVELOP AT LEVELS HIGHER LEVELS, 6.5 MEQ/L TO 7 MEQ/L, BUT THE RATE OF CHANGE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NUMERICAL VALUE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSES, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF HYPERKALEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.