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Potassium

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Nursing
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Rasmussen University
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Running head: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Electrolyte imbalance
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2
Potassium is an electrolyte and a mineral that is stored in the body. It carries electric
charges when dissolved in the blood and other body fluids. A more significant percentage of
Potassium in the human body is stored in the cells. It initiates the regular working of the muscles,
cells, as well as the nerves (Skelly, 2016). The daily intake of food and drinks such as potatoes,
bananas, and plain yogurt provides the body with the mineral. The potassium levels need to be
maintained at a standard level. They should not be too high or too low since they can result in a
malfunction of the body cells.
High levels of Potassium in the body results in hyperkalemia, while low levels of the
mineral lead to hypokalemia. Hyperkalemia is caused by kidney diseases, aldosterone
malfunction, metabolic acidosis, hyperglycemia, as well as insulin deficiency. Potassium
imbalance is associated with abnormal heartbeat, cardiac arrest, or overall body malfunction.
Potassium is lost during exercise when one is sweating, and also in the urine. Therefore,
uncontrolled loss of body fluid can result in low Potassium. The body can utilize the already
stored Potassium in the body cells to provide a substitute (Skelly, 2016). However, in extreme
cases, medical intervention can help to treat hypokalemia and maintain potassium balance in the
body.
The normal lab value range of Potassium is 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L. When a patient suffers
from hyperkalemia, then the potassium levels are above 5.0 mmol/L. On the other side, low
potassium levels below 3.5 mmol/L result in hypokalemia (Liu, Wang, Gu, Nanda, Watt, &
Mitlin, 2020). The potassium imbalance, especially in elderly patients, is caused by diabetes,
hypertension, as well as the use of diuretics. Patients with hypertension conditions have higher
chances of suffering from hyperkalemia and hypokalemia. In most cases, they combine diuretics
with other medications, which in turn lead to hyperkalemia. Also, diabetic patients are likely to
suffer from hypokalemia due to excessive use of thiazides, as well as benzodiazepines (Liu et al.,
2020). Other causes of potassium imbalance include kidney disorders, excessive vomiting, and
severe diarrhea, and eating disorders like bulimia.
Potassium imbalance can be life-threatening when it remains asymptomatic for a long
time. However, the condition can be treated by administering the right doses of insulin to the
patient. IV calcium is used when the levels of Potassium in the blood are higher than 6.5 mEq/l.
Other treatment that are used to lower blood potassium include sodium bicarbonate, diuretics, as
well as albuterol (Liu et al., 2020). According to Skelly (2016), dialysis has proved to be more
useful to patients suffering from hyperkalemia. The method is used to remove Potassium from
the body whenever pharmacological approaches fail to eliminate excess Potassium. In one hour,
period, Potassium can be lowered by 1 mEq/L while it can be reduced by 2 mEq/L in three
hours. On the other side, hypokalemia can result from the treatment of hypokalemia, such as
administering diuretics. Therefore, diuretics can be stopped if the potassium levels decrease
below the normal level. Also, increasing potassium to the normal level can help treat
hypokalemia. Patients with cardiac arrest history should have 4 mEq per L as their potassium
levels. Therefore, if the potassium level changes, they should seek medical intervention.

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Running head: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY Electrolyte imbalance Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2 Potassium is an electrolyte and a mineral that is stored in the body. It carries electric charges when dissolved in the blood and other body fluids. A more significant percentage of Potassium in the human body is stored in the cells. It initiates the regular working of the muscles, cells, as well as the nerves (Skelly, 2016). The daily intake of food and drinks such as potatoes, bananas, and plain yogurt provides the body with the mineral. The potassium levels need to be maintained at a standard level. They should not be too high or too low since they can result in a malfunction of the body cells. High levels of Potassium in the body results in hyperkalemia, while low levels of the mineral lead to hypokalemia. Hyperkalemia is caused by kidney diseases, aldosterone ma ...
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