>>> Update: For a new take on kayexalate, see Mak Moayedi’s Lecture

Hey folks. As I get ready for ACEP, I just wanted to get a quick podcast put up. One of the listeners requested an episode on the treatment of hyperkalemia in the ED.

There was a fantastic article published in Critical Care Medicine on the topic by a Dr. Weisberg. I go through my management and discuss some of the pearls from the article.

Weisberg LS. Management of severe hyperkalemia. Crit Care Med. 2008 Dec;36(12):3246-51.

Additional References added Feb 2012

ECG is insensitive and non-specific for severe hyperkalemia issues; essentially is crap (Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 3: 324-330, 2008). ECG peaked T waves, that resolved after K normalized were noted in only 1 of the 14 hyperkalemic patients who went on to have arrhythmia or cardiac arrest. Only half of them had any T-wave changes.

and now to the podcast…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (12.0MB) | Embed