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What is your approach to electrolyte repletion for patients hospitalized with cardiac and non-cardiac conditions?

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · Yale School of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital

My approach to electrolyte monitoring and repletion emphasizes a patient-specific risk assessment rather than adherence to arbitrary numeric thresholds. The routine, reflexive repletion of potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus in unselected medical inpatients is an overused practice with limited supp...

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · Temple University Hospital

For cardiac patients, I always aim above 4.0, not at 4.0. I have seen residents giving just 20 mEq for K 3.8. I would ask them if K 4.4 would make a difference, and if we aim higher than 4.0, you won’t need to chase numbers constantly. K>4, not K=4.

Other than cardiac, the other conditions I pay att...

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What is your approach to electrolyte repletion for patients hospitalized with cardiac and non-cardiac conditions? | Mednet