Mr. Sheumaker is a 65-year-old gentleman with known cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, who presented with a 1 week of progressive fatigue and shortness of breath. In the prior 2 weeks, he had been started on hydrochlorothiazide. He had been nauseated and vomiting as a result of Percocet taken for his left hip pain with resulting decreased p.o. intake. He was evaluated in his primary care clinic and felt to be in decompensated heart failure. In the Emergency Department, he was dehydrated and found to be in acute renal failure, hyperkalemic, and uremic. For his hyperkalemia, the patient was treated with calcium, gluconate, insulin, Kayexalate and his potassium level returned to normal levels by hospital day #2. For his acute renal failure, the patient was hydrated gently with 60 cc of normal saline. The renal service was consulted and assisted with management. His BUN and creatinine were 182 and 4.8 respectively. His potassium 6.4, his sodium 128, and his CPK 1356, and his uric acid level 11.6. For his joint symptoms, Rheumatology was consulted who performed arthrocentesis of the left knee and diagnosed polyarticular gout. For his hip pain, his orthopedist, Dr. Schuchmann, evaluated him for possible future hip surgery. Neurology was consulted regarding atrophy of thenar muscles and elevated CPK. At discharge, the patient was afebrile, hemodynamically stable, euvolemic, ambulating, and saturating on room air, and on a stable medical regimen. Followup appointments for Cardiology, Neurology, and Rheumatology were put in place.
Why was kayexalate originally prescribed
For his hyperkalemia, the patient was treated with calcium,