Post Date December, 02 2023
Potassium is one of the important cations in the human body. Speaking of "potassium", it is either hypokalemia or hyperkalemia, but what role does "potassium" play in the human body?
Maintain normal metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins
Potassium mainly exists in cells, so it plays an important role in maintaining osmotic pressure in cells
It can also maintain the irritability and normal function of neuromuscular
Maintain the normal state of the myocardium, and when potassium deficiency occurs, the excitability of the myocardium is too high; When potassium is too high, it also inhibits myocardial autonomy, conductivity, and excitability, both of which can cause arrhythmias
Maintain intracellular and extracellular acid-base balance and electrolyte balance
People who eat normally generally do not experience potassium deficiency. The common causes of potassium deficiency in clinical practice are insufficient dietary potassium intake, excessive loss (such as frequent vomiting, diarrhea, use of drugs that have potassium excretion effects), and low or no potassium in intravenous fluids. When the blood potassium concentration is below 3.5mmol/L, it is considered hypokalemia, and functional or pathological changes in neuromuscular, digestive, cardiovascular, urinary, and central nervous systems may occur.
Hypokalemia can cause various types of arrhythmia and can also cause renal dysfunction. Urinary volume should be strictly observed during treatment.
Vegetables with high potassium content, such as spinach, amaranth, coriander, cabbage, celery, scallions, green garlic, lettuce, potatoes, yams, fresh peas, soybeans, etc. Patients with low potassium tend to eat seafood with high potassium content.
When the blood potassium concentration is higher than 5.5mmol/L, the body experiences hyperkalemia, mainly manifested as extreme weakness, weakness in the limbs, and heaviness in the lower limbs. Common causes include excessive or rapid input of potassium containing drugs or oral potassium preparations, and severe renal failure. In addition, acidosis, hypoxia, massive hemolysis, severe injury, poisoning, etc. can also cause intracellular potassium to migrate outward, leading to hyperkalemia.
Hyperkalemia is mainly characterized by decreased renal function and metabolic disorders; Excessive potassium intake.
The most serious complication of hyperkalemia is cardiac arrest.
Kind reminder:
Patients with hyperkalemia should avoid consuming foods high in potassium. Foods with high potassium content include bananas, oranges, oranges, hawthorn, peaches, fresh orange juice, rapeseed, kelp, leeks, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, pickled vegetables, Sichuan winter vegetables, beans and their products.
