A nurse is reviewing prescriptions for a client admitted with muscle weakness and a serum potassium level of 2.4 mEq/L. The healthcare provider has prescribed 40 mEq of intravenous potassium chloride (KCl) in 100 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride to be infused over 1 hour. The client currently has a 22-gauge peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter in the right forearm. Which action should the nurse take first?
- AProgram the electronic infusion pump to deliver the medication at exactly 100 mL/hr to ensure accurate dosing.
- BAssess the client for a narrowing pulse pressure and tachycardia prior to initiating the infusion.
- Withhold the medication and contact the healthcare provider to clarify the unsafe infusion rate and route.Cevap
- DPiggyback the potassium chloride into a primary normal saline infusion running at 150 mL/hr to reduce vein irritation.
Cevap
Withhold the medication and contact the healthcare provider to clarify the unsafe infusion rate and route.
The correct action is to withhold the medication and contact the provider. Intravenous potassium chloride is a high-alert medication. The maximum safe infusion rate for a peripheral IV is typically 10 mEq/hr, and the maximum concentration is usually 10 mEq per 100 mL to prevent severe vein irritation and phlebitis. An infusion of 40 mEq over 1 hour via a peripheral line is highly dangerous and places the client at immediate risk for fatal cardiac arrhythmias and severe vascular damage.
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Safe Administration of Intravenous Potassium Chloride