Albuterol and insulin for treatment of hyperkalemia in hemodialysis patients

Abstract

We evaluated in maintenance hemodialysis patients the potassium lowering effects of intravenous insulin with glucose, nebulized albuterol, and a regimen combining both modalities. There was a similar decrease in plasma potassium following either insulin with glucose (0.65 +/- 0.09 mmol/liter) or albuterol (0.66 +/- 0.12 mmol/liter), and a substantially greater fall with the combined regimen (1.21 +/- 0.19 mmol/liter, P less than 0.02 vs. either drug alone). Baseline plasma glucose concentrations were similar (about 4.8 mmol/liter) prior to all three treatments. Following insulin with glucose, plasma glucose increased transiently. but then fell to 2.8 +/- 0.3 mmol/liter at one hour, with concentrations below 3 mmol/liter in 9 of 12 patients. None of the patients had symptoms of hypoglycemia. Plasma glucose increased to 6.8 +/- 0.5 mmol/liter with albuterol. After the combined drug regimen plasma glucose rose transiently and was back to baseline (4.7 +/- 0.7 mmol/liter) at one hour. Treatment with insulin or albuterol produced trivial increases in heart rate, whereas the combined drug regimen was associated with a significant rise (15.1 +/- 6.0 min-1). These observations suggest that albuterol and insulin with glucose are equally efficacious in lowering plasma potassium in uremic patients, and that the hypokalemic effects of the two drugs is additive. The hypoglycemic effect of insulin is attenuated by coadministration albuterol. Combined therapy with insulin, glucose and albuterol is efficacious and safe for the acute treatment of hyperkalemia in hemodialysis patients.