Potassium is a nutrient that is involved in many bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and muscle and nerve control, according to MedlinePlus. When it builds up in the body, however, it can cause irregular heartbeats, muscle weakness, paralysis or cardiac arrest. Hyperkalemia or high potassium is caused by conditions such as kidney failure that reduces the amount of potassium excreted by the body. Other possible causes of hyperkalemia include burns, injury, gastrointestinal bleeding, drug or alcohol abuse, certain medications, high potassium intake, surgery, tumors and type I diabetes. Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the condition.
Cardiac Care
Mild hyperkalemia produces no symptoms but moderately to severely high levels of potassium can cause heart arrhythmias---irregular heartbeats--and cardiac arrest. Often, the first sign of hyperkalemia is a change in the patient's heart rhythm that is detected on an electrocardiogram or ECG, according to MedlinePlus. The patient may have a slow, faint heart rate that becomes slower over time or an erratic rate that progresses to ventricular fibrillation and death. Hospitalization and careful monitoring is required, along with intravenous calcium to treat the arrhythmias.
Potassium Removal
Removing excess potassium from the body is necessary until the underlying cause of the problem can be treated. Some medications, such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate, remove excess potassium from the gastrointestinal tract, according to MedlinePlus. Diuretics or water pills increase urination to speed the excretion of sodium through the urinary tract. Intravenous glucose, insulin or sodium bicarbonate may be used to treat the symptoms of hyperkalemia. If the patient's kidneys are not functioning, dialysis may be appropriate for reducing total body potassium levels.
Treatment of Underlying Condition
In addition to treating serious symptoms of hyperkalemia, the medical team must address the cause of the condition, according to MedlinePlus. Stopping medications such as diuretics or potassium supplements or reducing potassium intake through the diet may be sufficient to address the problem in mild to moderate cases of hyperkalemia. If the hyperkalemia is caused by trauma or a burn, healing of the injury should resolve the hyperkalemia unless the kidneys fail. Medical conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes or Addison's disease---damage to the adrenal cortex that produces the hormone aldosterone---require disease-specific therapy or, in some cases, kidney transplant, to correct the underlying problem.
