Chapter 6: Potassium Chloride: Essential to Life Yet Deadly

Potassium chloride can kill within minutes if injected; however, it is also used as an alternative to sodium chloride in cooking and seasoning food. So, what is so special about potassium that makes it both essential to life yet deadly? Potassium chloride is widely used to treat hypokalaemia, the condition where potassium levels in the body are too low, as can happen with seriously ill patients who then face the possibility of a heart attack. It is for this reason that hospitals stock 10 mL vials of concentrated potassium chloride solution, and care must be taken when these are used to ensure that the solution is diluted to the right strength. Others have misused these vital medical supplies for their own depraved motives.