Which medication is used to treat hyperkalemia?

Prepare for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Test. Study with interactive quizzes and detailed explanations. Boost your exam readiness with our diverse question formats and in-depth content coverage.

Multiple Choice

Which medication is used to treat hyperkalemia?

In hyperkalemia, the goal is to reduce excess potassium, either by shifting it into cells or by removing it from the body. The medication that directly lowers serum potassium by removing it through the GI tract is a cation-exchange resin. It works in the colon, exchanging sodium for potassium, and then the bound potassium is excreted in the stool. Because of this mechanism, it lowers potassium levels over hours to days, making it useful for non-emergent management or as ongoing therapy in patients who can’t excrete potassium quickly enough on their own. Potassium chloride would add more potassium to the body, which obviously worsens hyperkalemia. Calcium gluconate doesn’t lower potassium; it stabilizes cardiac membranes to protect the heart in the presence of high potassium, buying time while other measures take effect. Sodium bicarbonate can help shift potassium into cells temporarily, particularly if acidosis is present, but it does not provide a direct, ongoing route to remove potassium from the body. In summary, the resin that binds potassium in the gut and promotes its excretion is the appropriate choice for actively reducing potassium levels.

In hyperkalemia, the goal is to reduce excess potassium, either by shifting it into cells or by removing it from the body. The medication that directly lowers serum potassium by removing it through the GI tract is a cation-exchange resin. It works in the colon, exchanging sodium for potassium, and then the bound potassium is excreted in the stool. Because of this mechanism, it lowers potassium levels over hours to days, making it useful for non-emergent management or as ongoing therapy in patients who can’t excrete potassium quickly enough on their own.

Potassium chloride would add more potassium to the body, which obviously worsens hyperkalemia. Calcium gluconate doesn’t lower potassium; it stabilizes cardiac membranes to protect the heart in the presence of high potassium, buying time while other measures take effect. Sodium bicarbonate can help shift potassium into cells temporarily, particularly if acidosis is present, but it does not provide a direct, ongoing route to remove potassium from the body. In summary, the resin that binds potassium in the gut and promotes its excretion is the appropriate choice for actively reducing potassium levels.

More practice questions