Severe Acidosis and Hyperpotassemia Treated with Sodium Bicarbonate Infusion

Abstract

Four uremic patients with severe acidosis, hyperpotassemia, and electrocardiographic signs of toxicity were treated with intravenous sodium bicarbonate. Serial determinations showed a fall in plasma potassium, a rise in blood pH, and regression of the electrocardiogram toward normal. The mechanisms responsible for these changes are discussed.