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Name: Potassium Acetate
Pregnancy Category C
Drug classes
- Electrolyte
Therapeutic actions
Principal intracellular cation of most body tissues, participates in a
number of physiologic processes-maintaining intracellular tonicity,
transmission of nerve impulses, contraction of cardiac, skeletal and
smooth muscle, maintenance of normal renal function; also plays a role
in
carbohydrate metabolism and various enzymatic reactions.
Indications
- Prevention and correction of potassium deficiency; when associated with alkalosis, use potassium chloride; when associated with acidosis, use potassium acetate, bicarbonate, citrate, or gluconate
- Treatment of cardiac arrhythmias due to cardiac glycosides (IV)
Contraindications/cautions
Contraindicated in the presence of allergy to tartrazine, aspirin (tartrazine is found in some preparations marketed as Kaon-Cl, Klor-Con); severe renal impairment with oliguria, anuria, azotemia; untreated
Addison's disease; hyperkalemia; adynamia episodica hereditaria; acute dehydration; heat cramps; GI disorders that cause delay in passage in the GI tract.
Use caution in the presence of cardiac disorders, especially if treated with digitalis, pregnancy, lactation.
Adverse effects
- GI: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, GI obstruction, GI bleeding, GI ulceration or perforation
- Hematologic: Hyperkalemia-increased serum K+, ECG changes (peaking of T waves, loss of P waves, depression of ST segment, prolongation of QT interval)
- Dermatologic: Skin rash
- Local: Tissue sloughing, local necrosis, local phlebitis, and venospasm with injection
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