What is the potassium safety zone?
Typically, a hemodialysis patient’s diet should include 2,000-3,000 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day. A peritoneal dialysis patient, on the other hand, can typically have 3,000-4,000 mg of potassium per day. When your blood is tested for potassium, the safety zone is generally in the range of 3.5-5.5 milliEquivalents per liter (mEq/L) of blood, although each person has his or her own individual potassium safety zone. With hemodialysis patients, potassium levels are tested before the dialysis treatment, when levels are highest. In fact, it is not uncommon for the potassium level to go up to 6.0 mEq/L in these tests, as it will immediately start coming down when treatment begins. Less than 3.5 or more than 6.0 mEq/L is definitely outside the potassium safety zone. How can you keep your potassium level from getting too high? First, meet with your renal dietitian to determine your personal potassium allowance. The dietitian can work with you to set up a reasonable diet plan that will k
