Comparison of Two Potassium Targets Within the Normal Range in Intensive Care Patients

Summary

Rationale: It is well known that distinctly abnormal blood potassium values can cause serious complications such as cardiac arrhythmias. Although potassium regulation is generally considered important, hardly any research has been done about potassium regulation in intensive care patients. The investigators hypothesize that different potassium target-values, within the as normal accepted range, may have different effects in critically ill patients. Study design: A prospective trial comparing two different potassium target-values. Potassium will be tightly regulated with the already fully operational GRIP-II computer program. Study population: 1200 adult patients admitted at the thoracic intensive care unit of the University Medical Center Groningen. Intervention: Comparison between two variations of standard therapy: potassium target-value of 4.0 mmol/L versus 4.5 mmol/L. Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary endpoint is the incidence of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter from ICU-admission to hospital discharge. Secondary endpoints are serum levels of potassium and the other main electrolytes, renal function and renal potassium excretion, the relation with insulin and glucose, the cumulative fluid balance, (ICU) length of stay and mortality.

Timeline

Start

2009-06

Primary completion

2011-12

Completion

2012-01

Publications

• Background Vogelzang M, Zijlstra F, Nijsten MW. Design and implementation of GRIP: a computerized glucose control system at a surgical intensive care unit. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2005 Dec 19;5:38. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-5-38.
• Background Vogelzang M, Loef BG, Regtien JG, van der Horst IC, van Assen H, Zijlstra F, Nijsten MW. Computer-assisted glucose control in critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Aug;34(8):1421-7. doi: 10.1007/s00134-008-1091-y. Epub 2008 Apr 4.
• Background Hoekstra M, Vogelzang M, Verbitskiy E, Nijsten MW. Health technology assessment review: Computerized glucose regulation in the intensive care unit--how to create artificial control. Crit Care. 2009;13(5):223. doi: 10.1186/cc8023. Epub 2009 Oct 16.
• Background Hoekstra M, Vogelzang M, Drost JT, Janse M, Loef BG, van der Horst IC, Zijlstra F, Nijsten MW. Implementation and evaluation of a nurse-centered computerized potassium regulation protocol in the intensive care unit--a before and after analysis. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2010 Jan 25;10:5. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-10-5.
• Hoekstra M, Hessels L, Rienstra M, Yeh L, Lansink AO, Vogelzang M, van der Horst IC, van der Maaten JM, Mariani MA, de Smet AM, Struys MM, Zijlstra F, Nijsten MW. Computer-guided normal-low versus normal-high potassium control after cardiac surgery: No impact on atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Am Heart J. 2016 Feb;172:45-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2015.10.020. Epub 2015 Nov 11.
• Hoekstra M, Vogelzang M, van der Horst IC, Lansink AO, van der Maaten JM, Ismael F, Zijlstra F, Nijsten MW. Trial design: Computer guided normal-low versus normal-high potassium control in critically ill patients: Rationale of the GRIP-COMPASS study. BMC Anesthesiol. 2010 Dec 31;10:23. doi: 10.1186/1471-2253-10-23.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.