Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate

Active ingredient(s): potassium chloride

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Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)

This leaflet provides important information about using Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information or if you have any concerns or questions about using Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate.

Where to find information in this leaflet:

1. Why am I given Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?
2. What should I know before receiving Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
4. How is Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate given?
5. What should I know after receiving Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?
6. Are there any side effects?
7. Product details

1. Why am I given Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate contains potassium chloride as the active ingredient. Potassium is naturally present in body fluids and is needed for normal body function.

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate helps to increase the potassium level that is in the blood. It is given to patients who have very low levels of potassium or who are unable to take tablets. It may also be used to treat poisoning by digitalis.

2. What should I know before receiving Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?

Warnings

You must not be given Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate if:

• you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
  – high potassium levels in your blood
  – adrenal gland problems
  – severe burns
  – severe dehydration
  – muscle spasm or twitching caused by heat exposure
  – abnormal heartbeat
  – certain heart problems
  – kidney problems where you pass less urine than is normal and have high levels of urea and other nitrogen compounds in your blood
  – Addison’s disease
  – any condition which increases your sensitivity to potassium (e.g., adynamia episodica hereditaria or paramyotonia congenita).

Check with your doctor if you:

• have or have had any other medical conditions, especially the following:
  – kidney problems
  – heart problems
  – sickle cell anaemia
• take medicines to treat high blood pressure and fluid build-up, especially triamterene, spironolactone and amiloride
• are on a low-salt diet.

During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information under Section 6. Are there any side effects?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Your doctor will discuss the possible risks and benefit of being given potassium chloride during pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. Potassium chloride passes into breast milk, however, there have been no problems reported in breast fed infants.

3. What if I am taking other medicines?

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines and potassium chloride may interfere with each other. These include:

• medicines used to treat high blood pressure and fluid build-up such as triamterene, spironolactone, amiloride and thiazide
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure and some other heart conditions such as enalapril, captopril
• medicines used to treat high blood pressure, heart conditions, glaucoma and migraine
• medicines to relieve pain and inflammation
• medicines to help prevent clotting such as heparin
• digitalis glycosides such as digoxin
• insulin
• antacids like sodium bicarbonate
• other medicines or supplements that contain potassium.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate.

Your doctor will advise you about continuing to take other medicines.

4. How is Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate given?

How much is given

Your doctor will decide what dose, how often and how long you will receive it. This depends on your condition and other factors, such as your weight, age, blood tests, how well your kidneys are working, and whether or not other medicines are being given at the same time.

How is it given

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate MUST be diluted before use according to the instructions on the label. If this concentrated solution has not been diluted correctly and mixed thoroughly IT MUST NOT BE USED.

Your doctor or a specially trained nurse will be responsible for diluting Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate correctly and mixing thoroughly before giving it to you as a slow injection into one of your veins (called an intravenous infusion).

If you are given too much

This rarely happens as potassium chloride will be given to you in hospital under the care of a highly trained doctor.

In the unlikely event that you are given too much (an overdose), you may experience some of the effects listed under Section 6. Are there any side effects?

The signs of overdose are tingling in the arms and legs, weakness, confusion, and abnormal heart beats.

Your doctor has information on how to recognise and treat an overdose. Ask your doctor if you have any concerns.

5. What should I know after receiving Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate?

Things you should do

Tell your doctor or nurse if you do not feel well after you have been given potassium chloride.

Driving or using machines

Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how potassium chloride affects you.

Looking after your medicine

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate is usually stored on the hospital ward or at the pharmacy.

Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse is responsible for storing Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate in a cool dry place, where the temperature stays below 25°C and disposing of any unused product correctly.

6. Are there any side effects?

All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.

See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any further questions about side effects.

Less serious side effects

Less serious side effects	What to do
nausea vomiting diarrhoea stomach pain feeling tired, drowsy, or lack of energy pain or swelling and redness along a vein	Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you notice any of these less serious side effects and they worry you.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects	What to do
low blood pressure abnormal heart beat confusion tingling in the arms or legs muscle weakness	Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience any of these serious side effects.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you feel unwell.

Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.

Reporting side effects

After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop taking any of your medicines.

7. Product details

What Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate contains

Active ingredient (main ingredient)	potassium chloride
Other ingredients (inactive ingredients)	water for Injections potassium hydroxide hydrochloric acid

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of these ingredients. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body, rash, itching or hives on the skin.

What Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate looks like

Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate is a clear, colourless solution in a plastic ampoule. It is available in packs of 50 ampoules (Aust R 10793)

Who manufactures and distributes Sterile Potassium Chloride Concentrate

Bridgewest Perth Pharma Pty Ltd
15 Brodie Hall Drive
Bentley WA 6102
Telephone: 1800 161 156
safety@lumacina.com

This leaflet was prepared in September 2023.