title: Use of salt substitutes in the treatment of diuretic-induced hypokalemia.
abstract: To evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and patient acceptance of salt substitutes for use as a potassium replacement, a series of 10 patients who had controlled hypertension and who were taking a prescription potassium replacement product for diuretic-induced hypokalemia agreed to switch from their usual potassium product to the salt substitute for 6 weeks. Serum potassium values were monitored every 2 weeks while patients took the salt substitute. It was found that the salt substitute was very effective at maintaining patients' serum potassium in the normal range. A questionnaire completed at the end of the 6-week period showed that only three patients experienced any side effects from the salt substitute, none of which was severe enough to warrant discontinuation of the product. The questionnaire also revealed, however, that patients did not care for the salt substitute, and at the end of the study, eight out of the 10 subjects chose to return to their prescription potassium product despite a marked cost advantage in favor of the salt substitute. While this study shows that salt substitutes are an effective, safe, and economical alternative to prescription potassium products, poor patient acceptance of this agent is discouraging. acceptance
authors.affiliation: Riverside Methodist Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hueston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004232:Diuretics; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D004232:Diuretics; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D011188:Potassium