Indication of Resonium A:
Resonium A is used to treat hyperkalaemia (high potassium levels in the blood).
Action of Resonium A:
Resonium A is a cation (positive ion) exchange resin, which lowers the blood potassium level by exchanging potassium for sodium in the intestine. This means that more potassium is excreted from the body in exchange for more sodium being retained Resonium A has its greatest effect in the large intestine, where more excretion of potassium takes place.
Dose Advice of Resonium A:
Resonium A should only be given orally or rectally (into the rectum via the anus). A combination of oral and rectal administration may hasten the reduction of potassium levels in the blood.Oral dose: 15 g three to four times daily as a suspension in a small amount of water or a syrup other than fruit juice. (NB: fruit juice may contain potassium and is therefore not suitable to give to patients who already have high potassium levels)Rectal dose: Indications for rectal administration of Resonium A are: vomiting, paralytic ileus and other upper digestive tract problems that make oral administration difficult.30 to 50 g Resonium A should be suspended in 150 mL water or 10% dextrose solution. The suspension should be administered as a retention enema and retained for nine hours. After nine hours, the rectum should be flushed with normal saline solution to remove the resin.Children: Using 1 mmol of potassium/g of resin, the recommended initial dose of Resonium A to treat acutely high potassium in children is 1 g/kg bodyweight daily in divided doses. The Resonium A should be suspended in water or syrup, as described above.A maintenance dose of 0.5g/kg may be used if necessary.Rectal doses in children should be at least 1g/kg and should be suspended in the same way as is described for adults.
Schedule of Resonium A:
S4
Common side effects of Resonium A:
Side effects that may occur due to Resonium A include: - Gastric irritation- Loss of appetite- Constipation- Nausea and vomiting
Uncommon side effects of Resonium A:
Uncommon side effects of Resonium A include: - Diarrhoea- Impaction of faeces from severe constipation- Intestinal obstruction (blockage)- Acute bronchitis or pneumonia may result from aspiration (accidental inhalation) of Resonium A eg. if a patient is vomiting or suffers from reflux.- Digestive tract ulceration and degradation of the lining of the gut have been reported very rarely. This may result in perforation of the gut.
Diseases treated by Resonium A:
Renal Failure - Acute
