Emergencies

Hyperkalemia Emergency

Calcium protects the heart in minutes, insulin and albuterol shift potassium in 15–30 minutes, and only binders, diuretics, or dialysis remove it.

Interactive pathway

Assess
Recognize hyperkalemia
- ECG progression: peaked T → PR prolongation and flattened P → wide QRS → sine wave → VF/asystole
- ECG does not correlate reliably with the level; treat the ECG
- Rule out pseudohyperkalemia (hemolyzed sample)
Decision
ECG changes or K⁺ ≥ 6.5?

Related EKGs

hyperk-peaked

hyperk-wide

sine-wave