What Are the Precautions for Administering Potassium Chloride via Intravenous Injection?

Potassium Chloride is a commonly used drug in clinical practice, which is an odorless and transparent liquid used to treat hypokalemia caused by various reasons. When administering Potassium Chloride intravenously, attention should be paid to the following points: the concentration of the drug solution should be moderate, excessive intravenous potassium supplementation can lead to hyperkalemia, and relatively large superficial veins should be selected for injection.

Firstly, the concentration of the drug solution should be moderate. Clinically, due to the risk associated with intravenous potassium supplementation, it is recommended that patients exercise caution and be aware of the precautions during the process. When intravenous injection is performed, the concentration of the drug solution should be moderate, and the injection speed should not be too fast. Potassium Chloride should be dissolved in 5% glucose or sugar and salt water, and the concentration should not be too high, otherwise it may cause cardiac arrest in patients. Intravenous potassium supplementation should be prohibited from intravenous injection and should be administered through slow intravenous drip.

Secondly, excessive intravenous potassium supplementation can lead to hyperkalemia. When using Potassium Chloride, the dosage should be moderate and should not be overused. Due to the occurrence of hypokalemia, patients often experience muscle paralysis. Therefore, when using Potassium Chloride, the dosage should be selected based on the specific condition of each patient. The initial potassium supplementation should aim to achieve an effective dose to control the further deterioration of the condition. However, excessive intravenous potassium supplementation often leads to hyperkalemia.

Thirdly, relatively large superficial veins should be selected for injection. Since Potassium Chloride has a strong stimulatory effect, it can easily cause spasms in the smooth muscle of smaller superficial veins. Therefore, when administering intravenous potassium supplementation, relatively large superficial veins should be selected for intravenous injection, and injection should not be performed on the dorsal veins of the hand or the scalp veins. Additionally, repeated injection into the same vein or the same area should be avoided to prevent the occurrence of phlebitis.

As a commonly used drug in clinical practice, Potassium Chloride has a significant therapeutic effect in relieving hypokalemia. However, during the use of this drug, it is important not to blindly administer intravenous potassium supplementation for a long time. The intravenous potassium supplementation plan should be tailored to each patient based on the cause and severity of their low potassium concentration.