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How much potassium chloride would be needed to elevate Mr. K.W.'s serum potassium by 2 mEq/L?

User Illiana
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Final answer:

To elevate Mr. K.W.'s serum potassium by 2 mEq/L, you would need 390 grams of potassium chloride (KCl).

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the amount of potassium chloride needed to elevate a person's serum potassium by 2 mEq/L, you need to know the patient's blood volume. Let's assume the average blood volume is 5 liters. To raise the potassium level by 2 mEq/L, you would need:

5 L x 2 mEq/L = 10 mEq of potassium

Potassium chloride (KCl) contains 39.1 grams of potassium per mole. So the amount of KCl needed can be calculated using the formula:

10 mEq x (1 mole KCl / 1 mole K) x (39.1 grams KCl / 1 mole KCl) = 390. grams KCl

User Prencher
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