NUTRITION MANAGEMENT OF POTASSIUM INTAKE

Description
The medical condition and nutritional requirements of the patient influence whether the dietary intake of potassium is adequate.  The amount of potassium in the diet may need to be either increased or decreased, depending on the patient’s condition.

Indications
A diet with an increased potassium content is prescribed to retain body potassium stores in the following:

• patients whose long-term use of potassium-losing diuretics, combined with a marginal potassium intake, contributes to potassium depletion
• patients who have increased urinary and gastrointestinal potassium losses resulting from certain diseases or conditions, eg, edema associated with certain cardiac or hepatic disorders, dehydration, the diuretic stage of nephritis

        A potassium-supplemented diet may be used in conjunction with pharmaceutical potassium supplements, or alone, in individuals with a mild potassium depletion who are not able to tolerate potassium supplements. However, without supplements, it may be difficult for a patient to consistently increase dietary potassium intake over his or her usual level of intake.

        A diet restricting potassium intake is usually required for patients with hyperkalemia, which commonly is caused by renal disease or certain medications.  See Dietary Management Using Healthy Guide for People with Chronic Kidney Disease.  For patients requiring a Simplified Renal Diet, refer to Simplified Renal Diet.

Nutritional Adequacy
Increased potassium intake: The diet is planned as a Regular Diet with an increase in foods that are high in potassium.  The diet is planned to meet the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) as outlined in the Statement on Nutritional Adequacy.

        Decreased potassium intake: See Dietary Management with the Using the Healthy Food Guide for People with Chronic Kidney Disease.

How to Order the Diet

To increase potassium intake: Order the diet as “Regular Diet with high potassium foods.”  If a specific potassium level is desired, specify the level in grams.

        Individual potassium intake varies.  To determine the patient’s current potassium intake, the physician should order a nutrition consult, including a diet recall of the patient’s intake of potassium.  From this evaluation, the dietitian can make appropriate recommendations for the patient to increase potassium intake.

        To decrease potassium intake: See Dietary Management with the Using the Healthy Food Guide for People with Chronic Kidney Disease and Simplified Renal Diet.

Planning the Diet
To increase potassium intake, refer to the Table F-1:  Potassium Content of Common Foods.

Manual of Clinical Nutrition Management                                                     
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