Influence of Epinephrine upon Plasma Potassium Concentration

Summary

The changes in plasma [K⁺] which occur during constant infusion of epinephrine into dogs have been studied. Frequent sampling of arterial blood during periods of 17 and 29 min duration has confirmed the indications of earlier studies that an early rise in plasma [K⁺] is followed by a decline and a sustained decrease in [K⁺]. The magnitude of the early increase in [K⁺] and the time from the beginning of infusion to the return of [K⁺] to control levels appear to be related to the rate of infusion of epinephrine. Further study is needed to determine how the later decrease in [K⁺] is related to the rate of infusion.