Podcast 845: Hyperkalemic Cardiac Arrest

<p><strong>Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Hyperkalemia may cause cardiac arrest </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Treatment of suspected hyperkalemic cardiac arrest begins with typical management of cardiac arrest including high-quality CPR, defibrillation if appropriate, and resuscitation medications </span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Administer calcium products to stabilize cardiac membrane and potassium shifting medications </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">If ROSC is achieved, initiate dialysis </span></li> </ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">There are several case reports of patients being dialyzed while CPR is ongoing, with some success  </span></li> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Dialysis during resuscitation may be an appropriate treatment for some patients </span></li> </ul> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jackson MA, Lodwick R, Hutchinson SG. Hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest successfully treated with peritoneal dialysis.</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">BMJ</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. 1996;312(7041):1289-1290. doi:10.1136/bmj.312.7041.1289</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kao KC, Huang CC, Tsai YH, Lin MC, Tsao TC. Hyperkalemic cardiac arrest successfully reversed by hemodialysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: case report.</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chang Gung Med J</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. 2000;23(9):555-559.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Torrecilla C, de la Serna JL. Hyperkalemic cardiac arrest, prolonged heart massage and simultaneous hemodialysis.</span>