
I.V. 
Therapy Demystified 
biod  to 
fOf11l 
HCL 
n.e 
pati.nt 
with 
""""bo
l
ic 
",,;oo,i.  and  hyperohloremia 
therefore may 
ahibit 
t""hy"",,' 
that 
",fl.cr. 
an effon to 
com""n 
.. 
te by 
b
l
owin~ 
off carbon dioxide. 
r"",ltin~ 
in 
respin
tory 
.1 
•• 
100i 
•. 
Potassium Balance 
" 
Pot=ium 
i.  the  major intracellular cation, 
lOOeed. 
intr>rollular  po", 
.. 
ium 
",,·.1. ex.,.,.,,] 
oxtrxellular 
lewl. 
by o,""r 
JQ 
ti 
..... 
, Normal serum poussium 1",·.1. 
are  approximately  3,5_S,0 
mEq/L 
Pouss
i
um 
has 
.n 
importan' role 
in 
e",urin~ 
appropri.te  oardi""  ""lIul 
.. 
exci
ubi
lity 
.. 
,,'ell 
os 
ok."""1  and  .moooh  muscle 
c""tIXti""," 
Bec 
..... 
cardi"". 
"ek"'l, 
and .mooIh mu",1e cel
l> 
"'" 
.. 
quisitely 
.. 
n.itive to the infl 
... 
oce. 
of 
poI .
.. 
ium. 
""'min~ly 
mi
oo.-
de,il1ion. 
from oocm.1 
.. 
rum  1
", 
.. 
1.  may 
ha 
.. 
major imJ»C" 
OIl 
oocmol  coliular beha,;c...  panieularly 
cardi"" ""lIul 
.. 
excitability and impulse 
roOOOC1ion. 
HYPOKALEMIA 
H)'P0lcakmia 
oocun 
"Oen 
.. 
rum poI 
... 
ium 
le",l. 
are Ie 
.. 
than 3.5  mEqIL 
and  i 
... 
ideoced 
by 
depre.sed  eardi"" 
acitability 
and dec 
.. 
"",d 
smoo<h 
and 
"ele"l 
muscle 
COIl
traction,  Boc,u 
.. 
,he  body  e.nOOl 
.tore 
poI=ium. 
g."roin
t
c"in.1 
los, 
of 
poussium 
through vomiting 
or 
di • 
..m.. 
can 
",pidly 
e.u", 
hypobl<mi 
•.  In  odditioo. 
bee,u", 
,he  rcn.1  tubule.  cxorete  exec 
.. 
diet",), 
pota 
.. 
ium, u"" 
of 
lcop 
diuretic 
•• 
1", 
m.y 
""""ntuate 
po 
... 
sium tubu
lar 
exoretion 
and cau"" 
hypoblemia. 
The 
.. 
and other etiologie • • nd clinical 
m.nife 
.... t
ioo. 
of 
hy
po 
•• 
lemi.  are  l
i"ed 
in 
T.b
le  2_4. 
n.e 
.arlie" 
clinic.1  m:utife .... tioo 
of 
hy
po
hl
em 
i. 
i • • n 
.. 
ymplom
at 
i< 
depre 
.. 
ion 
of 
,he T 
"'
.
'" 
00 the electrocardiogram 
(ECG), A t),pical IiCG complex 
fC4" 
•  !"'tien' 
"'
i
th 
hypoblemi. 
i. com!",red with 
•  oomtltl ECG 
oompb 
in 
Fi~, 
2_3 
la
\  Fir"_IiDe treatment 
of 
h)'poh
lemi' 
""01, 
.. 
" 
.. 
ound 
odmini" 
.. 
tioo 
of 
onl 
poI .
.. 
ium 
.uppk...,n" 
os 
the 
most 
effecti,.., and 
Ie
. "  rostly treatment. 
H"""",r. 
many 
J»
t
ien" 
o.nOOl 
,olerate 
onl 
pota 
.. 
ium .gents, 
n.e"" 
patients  may need to 
reoei""  poI 
... 
ium 
'upple"",n,,1 
.gents 
in
t 
.. 
, 
.. 
""",ly. 
Bee.u", 
of 
i"  profound 
effect> 
on 
o 
.. 
di"" 
<xc
i
ubi
lit
y, 
I, 
V, 
p<>t.assium 
mu" 
he 
admini<lered cau'iou.ly. and 
pa
t
ien" 
tre. ted 
thu. 
should he pla<ed on COIltin",,", 
e.rdi"" 
II»Ilitc.-ing. 
Pou..ium 
"", 
.. 
r may 
be 
odmini"ered by 
LV. 
pu.h 
C4" 
by bolu. 
dose 
•. Ratber. 
poI 
... 
ium shouk! 
be odmiwd 
with 
an 
LV. 
",Iu
tioo  and  admini"ered by 
an 
infu,ion 
"""troller 
or 
e""trooic 
infu.ion device (i,e" 
LV. 
pump)'" 
",'e 
001 
to exceed 
10} 
mEqlh. 
In 
e 
..... 
wbere • !",tient 
i, 
"" 
.. 
rely 
hypobl.mi< 
and the infu.ion c. n he administered 
,i 
•• 
cen, 
... 
1 line.  then  the  odmini.tratioo 
.. 
te 
may  be incre.sed to 
20 
mEqlh.