High potassium? Check your antibiotic

Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) -widely prescribed for urinary tract infections -are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). "We found a significant risk of severe hyperkalemia associated with TMP-SMX," comments Matthew A. Weir, MD (London Health Science Centre).

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