Acute Hyperkalemia

Among hospitalized patients, particularly those in emergency rooms and the ICU, hyperkalemia is far too prevalent. Approximately eight percent of all hospitalized patients experience hyperkalemia.  According to a study by Brady and Robinson, hyperkalemia is one of the more common acute life-threatening metabolic emergencies seen in hospital ERs.  The most common causes of hyperkalemic episodes in the hospital were reported to be renal failure (77%), drug-induced (63%), and hyperglycemia (49%).  In addition, physicians state that no other electrolyte abnormality arouses as much concern and alarm in the intensive care unit (ICU) as hyperkalemia because every clinician knows that an elevated level of serum potassium can have fatal consequences.   

There is a pressing need for better therapeutic alternatives to treat acute hyperkalemia.  Today's treatments provide limited efficacy (marginal potassium removal), come with a cascade of side effects and lead to poor patient compliance due to large quantities of drug consumed and the necessity to induce diarrhea at every dose.