CHSU Discovery

• Hyperkalemia (K+ > 5.5 mmol/L) is a serious electrolyte abnormality which may cause life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
• Pharmacological management of hyperkalemia includes the administration of agents to (1) stabilize cardiac membranes (i.e. calcium gluconate), (2) transiently shift potassium from the extracellular to intracellular space i.e. intravenous (IV) regular insulin], and (3) eliminate potassium (i.e. K+ binders).
• The three K+ binders currently approved for the management of non-acute hyperkalemia are sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS), sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC), and patiromer (PMR).
• K+ binders effectively remove K+ from the body via increasing fecal K+ excretion, but their relatively delayed onset of action has precluded their use in the acute management of hyperkalemia.
• Addition of K+ binders in the acute management of hyperkalemia may result in further lowering of K+.
• Study Purpose: determine which K+ binder lowers K+ levels the most when given in addition to standard of care