Potassium Chloride Immediate-Release Oral: Dosing
Immediate-release potassium chloride guidance for moderate hypokalaemia when a rapid oral effect is required.
Also searched as
Source reviewed
February 2024
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Therapeutic action
Potassium supplement, when immediate effect is required.
Indications
Treatment of moderate hypokalaemia.
Forms and strengths
- 7.5% potassium chloride syrup providing 1 mmol of potassium per ml, to be administered using a measuring device.
Dose
- Child under 45 kg: 2 mmol/kg, corresponding to 2 ml/kg, daily.
- Child 45 kg and over and adult: 30 mmol, corresponding to 30 ml, 3 times daily.
| Age | Weight | 7.5% syrup |
|---|---|---|
| < 2 months | < 5 kg | 4 ml x 2 |
| 2 months to < 1 year | 5 to < 10 kg | 6 ml x 2 |
| 1 to < 3 years | 10 to < 15 kg | 12 ml x 2 |
| 3 to < 5 years | 15 to < 20 kg | 20 ml x 2 |
| 5 to < 7 years | 20 to < 25 kg | 25 ml x 2 |
| 7 to < 9 years | 25 to < 30 kg | 20 ml x 3 |
| 9 to < 13 years | 30 to < 45 kg | 25 ml x 3 |
| ≥ 13 years and adult | ≥ 45 kg | 30 ml x 3 |
Duration
According to clinical response. Treatment of 1 to 2 days is typically sufficient when the patient is fully able to drink oral rehydration solution and can eat.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Reduce dosage in older patients and patients with renal impairment because of the risk of hyperkalaemia.
- Do not combine with spironolactone and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors such as enalapril.
- May cause gastrointestinal ulcerations, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and rarely hyperkalaemia.
- Administer with caution to patients with gastrointestinal ulcer because of the risk of gastrointestinal ulcerations.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
- Take with or at the end of meals to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal ulcerations.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
Rate this guide
Be the first to rate this guide.