Cureus
Restrictive Potassium Supplementation Strategy in a General Intensive Care Unit: A Before-and-After Quality Improvement Audit in a Mixed Critical Care Population
By Bhalla D, Mizori R, Akhtar W and 6 others.
Abstract
Purpose
Potassium supplementation thresholds in intensive care vary widely and have historically lacked strong supporting evidence. The TIGHT K trial demonstrated non-inferiority of a restrictive potassium threshold in cardiac surgical patients; applicability to general intensive care populations is unclear.
Methods
Retrospective before-and-after quality improvement audit in a mixed adult intensive care unit (ICU), comparing two one-week periods before (May 2025) and after (September 2025) reducing the intravenous potassium supplementation threshold from <4.5 to <3.6 mmol/L.