A 5-year-old boy diagnosed with chronic renal failure. He comes to the emergency department with vomiting, malaise, and palpitations. An electrocardiogram was performed with T-wave elevation and blood tests showed potassium levels of 5.9 mEq/L. Immediate administration of calcium gluconate is decided. What is the purpose of this treatment?
Calcium gluconate has no effect on blood potassium levels (therefore options 1, 2 and 3 are ruled out). Its function is to decrease the excitability of cardiac myocytes to decrease the likelihood of developing heart rhythm disorders.
Encourage the displacement of potassium from the plasma space to the intracellular space.
Chelate circulating potassium to favor its hepatic elimination.
Chelate circulating potassium to favor its renal elimination.
Antagonize the action of potassium on the myocardial cell membrane.
Calcium gluconate has no effect on blood potassium levels (therefore options 1, 2 and 3 are ruled out).
Calcium gluconate has no effect on blood potassium levels (therefore options 1, 2 and 3 are ruled out).
Calcium gluconate has no effect on blood potassium levels (therefore options 1, 2 and 3 are ruled out).
Its function is to decrease the excitability of cardiac myocytes to decrease the likelihood of developing heart rhythm disorders.