How much do you know about renal insufficiency and hyperkalemia?

Many diseases can cause electrolyte disorders, and kidney disease is one of them. People with renal insufficiency often have "hyperkalemia". This disease is often "very dangerous". If you are told that you have hyperkalemia, you should immediately undergo potassium-lowering treatment.

Causes of hyperkalemia in renal insufficiency

1. Excessive intake of high-potassium foods or potassium-containing drugs (such as penicillin potassium, transfusion of stored blood, excessive potassium supplementation to correct hypokalemia), etc.;

2. Excessive endogenous potassium production: excessive potassium released due to massive cell necrosis (such as burns, severe crush injuries, rhabdomyolysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, hemolysis, tumor lysis syndrome, etc.);

3. Decreased potassium secretion by renal tubules: potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone), ACEI drugs (enalapril, perindopril, etc.), ARB drugs (valsartan, irbesartan, etc.), tacrolimus, etc.

Clinical manifestations of hyperkalemia:

1. Abnormal skin sensation, drowsiness, fatigue, muscle pain, occasional paralysis and muscle rigidity;

2. Cardiovascular system: various types of arrhythmias, including conduction block, sinus bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and even cardiac arrest.

Treatment of hyperkalemia:

1. Stop taking potassium supplements, stop eating high-potassium foods, stop taking medications that can cause elevated blood potassium, and remove the primary cause of the disease;

2. Internal medicine potassium reduction treatment;

3. For patients with severe hyperkalemia or those who still have persistent hyperkalemia after active potassium-lowering treatment by internal medicine, timely hemodialysis is very necessary.