Hyperkalaemia
Excluding pseudohyperkalaemia, ECG changes, and the three-step treatment of stabilise, shift and remove.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Serum K⁺ above 5.5 mmol/L. UKKA grades it as mild 5.5 to 5.9, moderate 6.0 to 6.4 and severe 6.5 mmol/L or more. ECG changes make it an emergency at any level.
- The danger is cardiac. Treat the ECG and the trend, not just the number.
- Three steps: stabilise the myocardium, shift potassium into cells, remove it from the body. Then monitor for rebound and hypoglycaemia.
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Sources
- Clinical practice guideline - Management of hyperkalaemia in adultsUK Kidney Association, Updated July 2026
- Fluid and electrolyte disorders (Therapeutic Guidelines)AU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Ltd
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Deploy to Cloudflare on push to main