Potassium poisoning or toxicity occurs when your blood potassium levels are higher than what your doctor considers normal and safe. The condition of hyperkalemia occurs when your serum potassium is higher than the healthy range of 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L. Potassium above 6.0 mEq is potentially fatal. Therefore, particularly if you are at risk for hyperkalemia, it is imperative that you seek medical treatment at the first signs of the disorder.
Your Kidneys and Potassium Poisoning
One important function of your kidneys is to maintain a healthy balance of potassium in your blood. Your kidneys filter out any excess amount of the electrolyte, and that excess leaves your body through your urine. Therefore, any condition resulting in kidney damage, impairment or failure increases your risk for an elevated potassium level. Obstructive uropathy -- a condition in which the flow of your urine becomes blocked, allowing urine to back up into your kidneys--can also lead to hyperkalemia. Another disorder of the kidneys associated with hyperkalemia, glomerulonephritis, is a disease in which damage occurs to the important structures of your kidneys responsible for filtering fluids and waste from your blood. If you have a transplanted kidney and your body rejects that kidney, serum potassium toxicity results.
Other Causes
Other potential causes of high potassium include Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes and overuse of potassium supplements. You are also at risk for hyperkalemia if you take a certain type of medication called an ACE, or angiotensin-converting enzyme, inhibitor. If you have alcoholism or you abuse drugs, you may develop rhabdomyolysis, which is a disorder resulting in muscle-fiber breakdown that causes a release of potassium into your blood. If you experience trauma or burns, these types of injuries cause destruction of red blood cells and a shift of the potassium from those cells into your bloodstream, which results in potassium toxicity.
Symptoms
If left untreated, hyperkalemia rapidly progresses to a life-threatening condition, which is why early intervention at the onset of symptoms is critical. Particularly if you know you are at risk for potassium toxicity, notify your health care provider immediately upon noticing symptoms such as nausea, muscle fatigue or weakness. Additional symptoms of hyperkalemia include potentially dangerous heart dysrhythmias, a weak or slow pulse and paralysis.
Treatment
Due to the inherent dangers of potassium poisoning, the condition warrants emergent and acute medical intervention. Expect your doctor to implement treatment to protect your body systems from the excess potassium. One such treatment is kidney dialysis. Medications to treat hyperkalemia include diuretics, cation-exchange resin medications, and sodium bicarbonate. Doctors also use intravenous administration of calcium and glucose and insulin to protect you from the effects of hyperkalemia long enough to uncover its underlying cause.
