Acute treatments for severe hyperkalemia
What are the acute treatments that can be used for management of severe hyperkalemia?
Shift potassium into the cells by using:
- 1. Regular insulin 10 units IV with 50% dextrose 50 mL. Dextrose is not needed if the plasma glucose is above 250 mg/dL. Always recheck the blood glucose after giving insulin.
- 2. Nebulized albuterol 10 mg can also be used with similar lowering of potassium. These effects last 2 to 6 hours and must be followed by strategies to definitively remove potassium from the body.
