Question

A 35-year-old man presents to the emergency department after a motor vehicle collision with prolonged extrication. He complains of severe pain in his leg, which was trapped under the car for 3 hours. A 12-lead ECG obtained in triage is shown above. Which of the following interventions will decrease total body potassium stores?

1) Calcium gluconate
2) Furosemide
3) Insulin
4) Magnesium sulfate

Answer 1

Furosemide is the intervention that will decrease total body potassium stores by promoting renal excretion of potassium. It is used as a loop diuretic that leads to increased excretion of potassium in the urine.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is focused on interventions that will decrease total body potassium stores in a patient presented with a hypothetical clinical scenario. Of the provided options, (2) Furosemide will decrease total body potassium stores by promoting renal excretion of potassium. Furosemide is a loop diuretic that inhibits the sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, which leads to increased excretion of sodium, chloride, and potassium in the urine. While options such as (3) Insulin can help move potassium into cells and temporarily reduce plasma potassium levels, they do not reduce total body potassium stores. Calcium gluconate is used to stabilize cardiac membranes in hyperkalemia, and magnesium sulfate is used for other purposes such as treating eclampsia, but neither reduces total body potassium stores.