[A new treatment of hyperkalemia in renal failure with selective beta 2-adrenergic stimulant, terbutaline sulfate].

Plasma potassium lowering effect of a selective beta-2 adrenergic stimulant, terbutaline sulfate (TRB) was investigated in fourteen patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Fourteen CRF patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (5 male, 2 female) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (3 male, 4 female) were infused with 0.4 mg TRB dissolved in 100 ml of 10% maltose solution. Serum potassium level in the CGN group significantly (p less than 0.01) decreased after 20 minutes infusion and maximum lowering effect (1.1 mEq/l) was obtained 40 minutes after the start. On the other hand, the maximum lowering effect of serum potassium level in the DM group (0.77 mEq/l) was obtained 60 minutes after the start. No serious metabolic and hemodynamic side effect was observed except only slight transient tachycardia in 2 CGN patients and 3 DM patients. Thus, a beta-2 selective adrenergic stimulant, terbutaline sulfate may be useful for acute treatment of hyperkalemia in CRF patients by way of the stimulation of potassium uptake in the cells.