What are the western medicines for lowering blood potassium?

Potassium is a trace element in the human body. If there is a lack of potassium, the body needs to supplement potassium through medication or diet. However, when the potassium content in the human body exceeds the standard, it becomes hyperkalemia. Therefore, you should pay attention to changes in your body to avoid having too much or too little potassium. So what are the western medicines for lowering blood potassium?

1. Treatment measures for hyperkalemia include: the use of potassium-excreting diuretics, such as furosemide; glucose + insulin, which can promote the entry of potassium ions from outside the cells into the cells and reduce the blood potassium concentration; the use of sodium bicarbonate, etc., will have a good effect on reducing the potassium content in hyperkalemia. If necessary, calcium salts can be supplemented. Severe hyperkalemia can be treated with dialysis. Acidosis must be corrected in time. 100 ml of 11.2% sodium lactate solution or 5% sodium bicarbonate solution can be injected intravenously. Critically ill patients can also be injected into the cardiac cavity with 10-20 ml. In addition to correcting acidosis, it also has the effect of lowering blood potassium.

2. To lower blood potassium, intravenously inject 200 ml of 25% glucose solution plus 10-20 U of insulin to promote the transfer of potassium from extracellular to intracellular. To eliminate excess potassium in the body, cation exchange resins can be used orally or by enema, such as sodium cyclopentane resin, 20-40 grams per day, divided into 3 times to promote potassium excretion and relieve the harmful effects of high potassium on the myocardium. 5-10 ml of 10% calcium gluconate solution or calcium chloride solution can be repeatedly injected intravenously, because calcium can antagonize the effects of potassium on the myocardium. Treatment with drugs such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate powder will have a good effect.

3. Patients also need to pay attention to their diet and avoid consuming high-potassium foods, such as: salt substitutes, coffee, strong tea, broth, chicken essence, candied fruit, dried longan, etc. Boiling vegetables in water for 3 minutes and then frying them can also reduce the potassium content. After that, they can be eaten normally. After slicing potatoes, soak them in water for 20 minutes and then pour out the juice. It should also be noted that bamboo shoots, vegetable soup and broth are all high-potassium foods, so it is better to avoid eating them. Patients also need to rest more and avoid excessive fatigue.

Finally, if the diet of patients with hyperkalemia is well matched, the treatment effect will be better. Patients with loss of appetite and high fever should pay attention to adequate calorie intake, drink more water, try to keep the bowels open, prevent the symptoms of constipation, and develop the habit of defecating every day.