By: Blair S. Walker Oct. 19, 2017
A properly-functioning human body relies on minerals capable of carrying an electric charge. Medical experts call these minerals `electrolytes’ and place potassium within this grouping.
Doctors often advise us to eat bananas and other foods rich in potassium, which helps stabilize the electrical activity in our hearts and assists in building muscle, among other functions. However people with certain medical conditions can end up with too much potassium in their bloodstreams, a condition known as hyperkalemia.
Weakness, unusual heart rhythms and nausea are all symptoms of the disease. Levels of potassium equal to, or greater than, 6.5mEq/L constitute potentially life-threatening hyperkalemia and require immediate hospitalization, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
“For a healthy individual, it’s very difficult to become hyperkalemic,” says Oliver Lenz, M.D., a nephrologist with the University of Miami Health System. “It’s usually kidney disease that causes the trouble. “
Dr. Lenz says medical professionals treating hyperkalemic patients need to be “very thoroughly educated” about their patients’ diet. In Miami, “during the summer we see seasonal increases in hyperkalemia, because mangos are in season and they’re high in potassium,” Dr. Lenz says
Dexur’s researchers have taken a detailed look at hyperkalemia statistics coming out of Florida and the 49 other states, along with U.S. territories Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. The stats are associated with hospitalized hyperkalemia patients, and zero in on total inpatient discharges, total number of discharged hyperkalemia patients and the percentage of overall discharges that had hyperkalemia. Two other metrics highlighted are average length of stay difference with and without hyperkalemia at the diagnosis-related group (DRG) level, and average readmission difference with and without hyperkalemia at the DRG level.
“Newer agents such as patiromer sorbitex calcium and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate have been developed for long-term prevention and recurrence of hyperkalemia,” says Kristy Greene, PharmD, a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist with Emory University Hospital Midtown, in Atlanta. “Pharmacists can play an important role in identifying hospitalized patients early via clinical-decision tools, or by flagging their clinical records during medication profile review to prevent occurrences.”
Individuals being treated for heart failure are particularly susceptible to hyperkalemia, as are patients dealing with end-stage renal disease. Healthcare professions suggest that patients within these groups curtail dietary sources of potassium, and ask their physicians which medications tend to exacerbate hyperkalemia.