Medicines Management & Pharmacy Services Information Bulletin
Potassium Chloride Preparations
More information is available in the Trust’s Potassium Policy.
Concentrated Potassium Chloride solutions are not intended for general use and are only
stored in authorised areas - use ready-made potassium chloride preparation for parental
administration whenever possible. Concentrated potassium solutions are defined as
injections containing 0.4mmol/mL and treated as a controlled drug.
Key points:
 Potassium must be administered at an appropriate rate using a suitable infusion
pump.
 Only use the intravenous route when the oral route is inappropriate.
 Potassium must NOT be administered by bolus injection (except rarely in an acute
life-threatening condition administered by a doctor as very slow bolus).
 Wards unauthorised to use concentrated potassium must contact aseptics if they
require a bag of potassium that is not already available.
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Refer
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The usual maximum concentration of potassium that can be given via a peripheral
vein is 40mmol/L (60mmol/L can be given peripherally but is more likely to cause
pain and phlebitis).
The rate of administration should not normally exceed 10mmol/hr. ECG
monitoring is required if the rate of administration is greater than 20mmol/hr. This
is the same whether the patient has a peripheral or a central line.
to the potassium policy for:
A list of concentrated potassium injection solutions available in LTHT
A list of wards authorised to use concentrated potassium.
A document on how to order, store, record and dispose of concentrated potassium
injections in clinical areas and dispensaries.
A document on good practice of the use of concentrated potassium injections.
References
Date Produced: May 2012, updated March 2016
Author: Abigail Heller Pharmacist, updated by Anna Greensmith, TraineePharmacy Technician.
QA check: Emily Turner, Medicines Information Pharmacist
Review Date: February 2018
Produced by the Medicines Information Department
[email protected]
Potassium Chloride Ready-made
Preparations
Fluid
Potassium Volume
Glucose 5%
20mmol
1000ml
Concentration Comments
per /L
Glucose 5%
40mmol
1000ml
40mmol/L
Glucose 10%
10mmol
500ml
20mmol/L
Glucose 10%
20mmol
500ml
40mmol/L
Sodium
0.9%
Sodium
0.9%
Sodium
0.9%
Sodium
0.9%
Sodium
0.9%
Chloride
20mmol
500ml
40mmol/L
Chloride
40mmol
500ml
80mmol/L
Chloride
20mmol
1000ml
20mmol/L
Chloride
40mmol
1000ml
40mmol/L
Chloride
60mmol
1000ml
60mmol/L
Sodium Chloride
0.9%
Water (ULM)
40mmol
400mmol/L
50mmol
100ml
(ULM)
50ml (PFS)
Glucose 4% and
Sodium Chloride
0.18%
Glucose 4% and
Sodium Chloride
0.18%
Glucose 10% and
Sodium Chloride
0.18% (ULM)
Glucose 5% and
Sodium Chloride
0.45%
Glucose 5% and
Sodium Chloride
0.45%
Glucose 5% and
Sodium Chloride
0.9%
Glucose 2.5% and
sodium chloride
0.45% (ULM)
Glucose 2.5% and
sodium chloride
0.45% (ULM)
Glucose 2.5% and
sodium chloride
0.45% (ULM)
20mmol
1000ml
20mmol/L
40mmol
1000ml
40mmol/L
10mmol
500ml
20mmol/L
10mmol
500ml
20mmol/L
20mmol
500ml
40mmol/L
20mmol
500ml
40mmol/L
20mmol
1000ml
20mmol/L
Potassium chloride
0.15% on JAC
40mmol
2000ml
20mmol/L
Potassium chloride
0.15% on JAC
60mmol
3000ml
20mmol/L
Potassium chloride
0.15% on JAC
20mmol/L
1000mmol/L
Central
administration only
Central
administration
preferred
Central
administration only
Central
administration only