What Ailments Can Potassium Chloride Tablets Treat?

Update Date: 2024-05-24 Source: Network

Potassium chloride tablets can be used to treat hypokalemia. Many patients may experience hypokalemia due to vomiting, diarrhea, or other illnesses, while some patients may also experience hypokalemia after taking oral diuretics. In such cases, if the blood potassium level is low, generally below 3.0 mmol/L, intravenous potassium supplementation may not be necessary. Oral administration of potassium chloride injection or potassium chloride tablets can help alleviate the condition. Potassium chloride tablets are absorbed slowly and may have mild gastrointestinal irritation, which should be noted.

Potassium chloride tablets are mainly used clinically to treat hypokalemia caused by various reasons, such as inadequate intake, vomiting, severe diarrhea, use of potassium-losing diuretics, hypokalemic familial periodic paralysis, long-term use of glucocorticoids, and supplementation of hypertonic glucose. When patients have potassium loss, especially when hypokalemia poses a significant risk to the patient, prophylactic potassium supplementation is needed, such as in cases of poor intake, severe or chronic diarrhea, long-term use of corticosteroids, potassium-losing nephropathy, and digitalis intoxication causing frequent multifocal premature contractions or tachycardia.

Elderly patients with poor appetite or patients unable to eat due to certain illnesses may develop hypokalemia due to long-term poor intake. Mild hypokalemia requires oral administration of potassium chloride tablets for treatment, while severe hypokalemia may require intravenous administration of potassium chloride injection to replenish potassium ions.

Some patients with heart failure or edema in the limbs may receive potassium-losing diuretics such as furosemide during treatment. Long-term and excessive use of potassium-losing diuretics can lead to lower-than-normal potassium levels in the patient's body. To prevent hypokalemia, oral administration of potassium chloride tablets can be combined with the use of potassium-losing diuretics. If hypokalemia occurs, intravenous administration of potassium chloride injection can be used to replenish potassium ions.