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Potassium Iodide Brand Names- IOSAT | Pima | SSKI
What is Potassium Iodide
Potassium iodide (KI) is an oral compound comprised of roughly 76% iodine and 23% potassium by weight.
Clinically, iodine has been used as a therapeutic agent since the 1800s, most notably in the treatment of thyroid disease.
Potassium iodide is used as an adjunct to other antithyroid agents in the treatment of hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis, and preoperatively to induce thyroid involution.
The drug is also useful as a protectant of the thyroid gland following radiation exposure. Certain potassium iodide formulations (e.g., Iostat, ThyroSafe, ThyroShield), received FDA clearance for thyroid protection against radioactive iodine exposure (e.g., in the event of a nuclear plant accident or ‘dirty bomb’ containing radioactive iodine, I-131).
These formulations may be distributed to high-risk individuals by the government or public health officials and are also approved for OTC sale to the general public.
The U.S. government actively distributes stockpiles of KI tablets to those States that house nuclear reactors. Clinicians should note that FDA-approved potassium iodide products only provide protection for the thyroid gland from radioiodines, and do not provide protection against other types of radiation exposure.
Potassium iodide (KI) appears useful for dermatologic conditions; the drug has demonstrated efficacy for cutaneous and lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis and is used in the tropics to treat entomophthoramycosis caused by the fungi Basidiobolus and Conidiobolus.
The drug is also used off-label as a second line agent for various inflammatory dermatoses, including erythema nodosum, subacute nodular migratory panniculitis, nodular vasculitis, erythema multiforme, and Sweet’s syndrome.
Although potassium iodide was commonly used historically as a respiratory expectorant, the drug is no longer recommended for this purpose due to a lack of evidence for clinical efficacy and the potential for thyroid dysfunction or other side effects.
Commercial products containing potassium iodide have been marketed for medical use since 1939.
Indications
- chronic bronchitis
- emphysema
- Graves’ disease
- radiation exposure
- Sporothrix schenckii
- sporotrichosis
- thyroid involution induction
- thyrotoxicosis
Side Effects
- acneiform rash
- angioedema
- arthralgia
- blepharedema
- diarrhea
- dysphagia
- eosinophilia
- fever
- GI bleeding
- goiter
- headache
- hypothyroidism
- iodine toxicity
- lymphadenopathy
- metallic taste
- nausea
- ocular irritation
- rhinitis
- serum sickness
- sialadenitis
- sneezing
- thyroid adenoma
- vomiting
- wheezing
Monitoring Parameters
- serum creatinine/BUN
- serum potassium
- thyroid function tests (TFTs)
Contraindications
- acne vulgaris
- adrenal insufficiency
- asthma
- breast-feeding
- bronchitis
- cardiac disease
- dehydration
- goiter
- hyperkalemia
- iodine hypersensitivity
- muscle cramps
- pregnancy
- renal impairment
- sulfite hypersensitivity
- Thomsen’s disease
- thyroid disease
- tuberculosis
- vasculitis
Interactions
- Aliskiren
- Aliskiren; Amlodipine
- Aliskiren; Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Aliskiren; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Aliskiren; Valsartan
- Amiloride
- Amiloride; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Amlodipine; Benazepril
- Amlodipine; Celecoxib
- Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Olmesartan
- Amlodipine; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Valsartan
- Amlodipine; Olmesartan
- Amlodipine; Telmisartan
- Amlodipine; Valsartan
- Ammonium Chloride
- Angiotensin II receptor antagonists
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
- Anticholinergics
- Atropine
- Atropine; Benzoic Acid; Hyoscyamine; Methenamine; Methylene Blue; Phenyl Salicylate
- Atropine; Difenoxin
- Atropine; Diphenoxylate
- Atropine; Edrophonium
- Atropine; Hyoscyamine; Phenobarbital; Scopolamine
- Azelastine; Fluticasone
- Azilsartan
- Azilsartan; Chlorthalidone
- Beclomethasone
- Belladonna Alkaloids; Ergotamine; Phenobarbital
- Belladonna; Opium
- Benazepril
- Benazepril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Benzoic Acid; Hyoscyamine; Methenamine; Methylene Blue; Phenyl Salicylate
- Benztropine
- Betamethasone
- Budesonide
- Budesonide; Formoterol
- Budesonide; Glycopyrrolate; Formoterol
- Candesartan
- Candesartan; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Captopril
- Captopril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Celecoxib
- Chlordiazepoxide; Clidinium
- Ciclesonide
- Corticosteroids
- Cortisone
- Cyclosporine
- Deflazacort
- Dexamethasone
- Diclofenac
- Diclofenac; Misoprostol
- Dicyclomine
- Diflunisal
- Digoxin
- Diphenhydramine; Ibuprofen
- Diphenhydramine; Naproxen
- Drospirenone
- Drospirenone; Estradiol
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol
- Drospirenone; Ethinyl Estradiol; Levomefolate
- Enalapril, Enalaprilat
- Enalapril; Felodipine
- Enalapril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Eplerenone
- Eprosartan
- Eprosartan; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Esomeprazole; Naproxen
- Etodolac
- Famotidine; Ibuprofen
- Fenoprofen
- Flavoxate
- Fludrocortisone
- Flunisolide
- Flurbiprofen
- Fluticasone
- Fluticasone; Salmeterol
- Fluticasone; Umeclidinium; Vilanterol
- Fluticasone; Vilanterol
- food
- Formoterol; Mometasone
- Fosinopril
- Fosinopril; Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ
- Glycopyrrolate
- Glycopyrrolate; Formoterol
- Heparin
- Homatropine; Hydrocodone
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Irbesartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Lisinopril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Losartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Moexipril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Olmesartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Quinapril
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Spironolactone
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Telmisartan
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Triamterene
- Hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ; Valsartan
- Hydrocodone; Ibuprofen
- Hydrocortisone
- Hyoscyamine
- Hyoscyamine; Methenamine; Methylene Blue; Phenyl Salicylate; Sodium Biphosphate
- Ibuprofen
- Ibuprofen; Oxycodone
- Ibuprofen; Pseudoephedrine
- Indacaterol; Glycopyrrolate
- Indomethacin
- Iodoquinol
- Irbesartan
- Ketoprofen
- Ketorolac
- Lansoprazole; Naproxen
- Lisinopril
- Lithium
- Loperamide
- Loperamide; Simethicone
- Losartan
- Meclofenamate Sodium
- Mefenamic Acid
- Meloxicam
- Mepenzolate
- Methenamine; Sodium Acid Phosphate; Methylene Blue; Hyoscyamine
- Methimazole
- Methscopolamine
- Methylprednisolone
- Moexipril
- Mometasone
- Nabumetone
- Naproxen
- Naproxen; Pseudoephedrine
- Naproxen; Sumatriptan
- Nebivolol; Valsartan
- Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
- Olmesartan
- Oxaprozin
- Oxybutynin
- Penicillin G
- Perindopril
- Perindopril; Amlodipine
- Piroxicam
- Prednisolone
- Prednisone
- Propantheline
- Propylthiouracil, PTU
- Quinapril
- Ramipril
- Rofecoxib
- Sacubitril; Valsartan
- Scopolamine
- Sodium Iodide
- Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
- Spironolactone
- Sulfamethoxazole; Trimethoprim, SMX-TMP, Cotrimoxazole
- Sulindac
- Tacrolimus
- Telmisartan
- Thyroid hormones
- Tolmetin
- Trandolapril
- Trandolapril; Verapamil
- Triamcinolone
- Triamterene
- Trihexyphenidyl
- Trimethoprim
- Valdecoxib
- Valsartan