Generic Name Kayexalate
Indications Hyperkalemia.
Dose 0.5-1 gm/kg/dose, made into a slurry with sorbitol, given as
retention enema at body temperature q 6 hours. Can also be given PO if
infant is tolerating feedings. Suspensions of this drug should be freshly
made and not stored beyond 24 hours.
Other measures that should also be considered: remove K from IV, IV
sodium bicarb, IV glucose & insulin, IV calcium gluconate, hyperventilation,
exchange transfusion with freshly washed PRBC & FFP, hemodialysis,
peritoneal dialysis.
Route PO, PR
Action Kayexalate is a finely ground, powdered form of sodium
polystyrene sulfonate, a cation-exchange resin prepared in the sodium phase,
with an in-vivo exchange capacity of approximately 1 meq of potassium per
gram of resin.
Toxicity Since effective lowering of serum potassium may take hours to
days, treatment with this drug alone may be insufficient to rapidly correct
severe hyperkalemia associated with states of rapid tissue breakdown or
hyperkalemia so marked as to constitute a medical emergency. Therefore,
other definitive measures such as dialysis should always be considered.
Serious potassium deficiency can occur from Kayexalate therapy. Close
monitoring of serum electrolytes is imperative. Electrocardiographically,
hypokalemia is often associated with lengthened Q-T interval, widening &
flattening and/or inversion of T-waves, and prominent U-waves. Also, cardiac
arrhythmias may occur, such as premature atrial, nodal, and ventricular
contractions, and supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias. The toxic
effects of digoxin are likely to be exaggerated.
Like all cation exchange resins, Kayexalate is not totally selective
for potassium in its actions, and small amounts of other cations such as
magnesium and calcium may be lost during treatment.
Kayexalate contains approximately 100 mg (4.1 meq) of sodium per gram
of resin. In patients who cannot tolerate even a small increase in sodium
load (i.e. severe congestive heart failure, hypertension, or marked edema)
compensatory restriction of sodium intake from other sources may be
indicated.
References NICU Drug Handbook, p. 165, 1991.
Gomella, Neonatology, p. 480, 1992.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan B. Britten" <jbrit...@cc.nakamura-u.ac.jp>
To: <silver-list@eskimo.com>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: CS>Potassium - Debunking this very irresponsible series of
articles
> Ian,
>
> Is polystyrene related to styrofoam, the packing material? I am
> surprised to read of polystyrene having a therapeutic use.
>
>
> JBB
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, Mar 9, 2004, at 08:46 Asia/Tokyo, Ian_Ontario wrote:
>
> > Hi Mike:
> >
> > Potassium is integral in the function of cells, especially muscular
> > contraction, [which includes the heart] and the range for normal
> > levels is
> > much narrower than for sodium or chloride. For K+ it's 3.5 to 5.5
> > mmol / L.
> > Normally functioning kidnies maintain these levels by excreting or
> > retaining
> > it. Persons with metabolic disorders, diabetis, dehydration, diarrhea,
> > vomitting, acidosis, alkalosis, renal disease and persons who take RX
> > drugs
> > can experience levels outside the normal range. Blood levels also rise
> > if
> > there has been a lot of tissue destruction where the cell walls break
> > down.
> > K+ us usually, for the most part kept inside of cells and Na is kept
> > outside. When cell walls break down the K+ gets out. I know that in
> > the
> > hospital, as soon as someone is at 3.3 or less, they prescribe oral or
> > IV
> > potassium especially if they are on potassium wasting diruetics like
> > furosemide. Anything above 6 to 6.3 and they start giving polystyrene
> > orally or rectally to bind potassium and take it out of the body. So
> > as
> > soon as you get 2 to 6 points outside the range, it can become a
> > serious
> > concern.
> >
> > Electrolytes are routinely tested as part of any blood work drawn on
> > any
> > visit to the ER or family practitioner if the patient complains of any
> > malady. It's like looking both ways before you walk across the street.
> >
> > Hope this helps a little.
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "M. G. Devour" <mdev...@eskimo.com>
> > To: <silver-list@eskimo.com>
> > Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 1:01 PM
> > Subject: Re: CS>Potassium - Debunking this very irresponsible series of
> > articles
> >
> >
> >> Garnet writes:
> >>> I reread this section and he does in fact state that his electrolytes
> >>> were never checked "to check for a potassium deficiency". This to me
> >>> means they were indeed checked and he perceived that the doctors were
> >>> not looking to see if the potassium levels were low. This is too
> >>> absurd
> >>> to entertain as it is one of the MOST basic parameters in a blood
> >>> panel
> >>> besides the cell counts, it is a known indicator of poor cardiac
> >>> function and any doctor, even the worst is going to look at the easy
> >>> indicators. And asking the author would not reveal the intentions of
> >>> his
> >>> physicians. That is something only the physician would know.
> >>
> >> Do I remember right that part of his thesis is that the levels of
> >> potassium that medicine and science accept as the standard for
> >> "normalcy" are in fact much lower than they would be if people were
> >> getting the appropriate amount in their diets?
> >>
> >> If you know this, ma'am, could you tell me what would happen if a
> >> person consumed considerably more potassium and less sodium than the
> >> average person? Would their blood electrolyte levels change
> >> significantly? Or does the body control these levels tightly?
> >>
> >> Mike D.
> >>
> >> [Mike Devour, Citizen, Patriot, Libertarian]
> >> [mdev...@eskimo.com ]
> >> [Speaking only for myself... ]
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver.
> >>
> >> Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org
> >>
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> >> Silver List archive:
> >> http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html
> >>
> >> Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com
> >> OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html
> >>
> >> List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver.
> >
> > Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org
> >
> > To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com
> > Silver List archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html
> >
> > Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com
> > OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html
> >
> > List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
> >
>
>
> --
> The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver.
>
> Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org
>
> To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com
> Silver List archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html
>
> Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com
> OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html
>
> List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
>
>
--
The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver.
Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org
To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com
Silver List archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html
Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com
OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html
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