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Potassium Deficit Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate Potassium Deficit (KD) is:

$KD = (DK - CK) \times W \times 0.4$

Where:

$KD$ is the Potassium Deficit (mEq)
$DK$ is the Desired Potassium Level (mEq/L)
$CK$ is the Current Potassium Level (mEq/L)
$W$ is the Patient's Weight (kg)

What is Potassium Deficit?

Potassium deficit refers to the amount of potassium required to raise a patient’s serum potassium level to within normal limits. It is a critical calculation in the management of patients with hypokalemia, a condition characterized by low levels of potassium in the blood. The deficit must be corrected carefully to prevent complications associated with rapid changes in potassium levels.

Example Calculation

Let's consider an example:

Desired Potassium Level (DK): 4.0 mEq/L
Current Potassium Level (CK): 3.0 mEq/L
Patient's Weight (W): 70 kg

Using the formula to calculate Potassium Deficit:

$KD = (4.0 - 3.0) \times 70 \times 0.4 = 1.0 \times 70 \times 0.4 = 28 \, \text{mEq}$

This means that the patient has a potassium deficit of 28 mEq that needs to be corrected.