SAQ 1096 – Slow-release potassium overdose with early hyperkalaemia

A 68-year-old woman presents intoxicated to your tertiary emergency department two hours after deliberately ingesting 120 x 600 mg slow-release potassium tablets. She has been vomiting and is confused with GCS 14. Her initial venous blood gas is shown below.

Test	Result	Reference range
pH	7.32	7.35-7.45
pCO2	35 mmHg	35-38
Lactate	5 mmol/L	0.6-1.5
Creatinine	110 micromol/L	45-90
BSL	6.3 mmol/L	3.9-5.8
Sodium	133 mmol/L	136-146
Potassium	6.1 mmol/L	3.9-5.2
Bicarbonate	18 mmol/L	21-28
Base excess	-4 mmol/L	-1.5 to 3.0

Outline your risk assessment for this ingestion.

(Marked out of 4.0)

/ 4

List and briefly describe two (2) specific toxicological interventions for the potassium ingestion.

(Marked out of 2.0)

/ 2

For each intervention above, list one advantage and one disadvantage.

(Marked out of 4.0)
</p> <table class="saq-prop-table" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%;"> <thead> <tr> <th style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;">Intervention</th> <th style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;">Advantage</th> <th style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;">Disadvantage</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;">Whole-bowel irrigation</td> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;"></td> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;">Dialysis</td> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;"></td> <td style="overflow-wrap: anywhere; word-break: normal; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box;"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>

/ 4

List four (4) other management priorities.

(Marked out of 4.0)

/ 4

Total Score: 0 / 14

Percentage: 0%