Editing Potassium chloride (section)

===Medical use===
{{Main|Potassium chloride (medical use)}}
Potassium is vital in the [[human body]], and potassium chloride by mouth is the standard means to treat [[low blood potassium]], although it can also be given intravenously. It is on the [[WHO Model List of Essential Medicines|World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines]].<ref name="WHO21st">{{cite book | vauthors = ((World Health Organization)) | title = World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019 | year = 2019 | hdl = 10665/325771 | author-link = World Health Organization | publisher = World Health Organization | location = Geneva | id = WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO | hdl-access=free }}</ref> It is also an ingredient in [[Oral Rehydration Therapy]] (ORT)/solution (ORS) to reduce hypokalemia caused by diarrhoea.<ref name="who-new-ors-2006">{{cite book |last1=World Health Organization |url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/69227/WHO_FCH_CAH_06.1.pdf |title=Oral rehydration salts: production of the new ORS |last2=Unicef |publisher= |year=2006 |series=WHO/FCH/CAH/06.1 |hdl=10665/69227 |id= |author-link=World Health Organization |author-link2=UNICEF |access-date=2024-11-14 |archive-date=2023-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603021940/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/69227/WHO_FCH_CAH_06.1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> This is another medicine on the [[WHO Model List of Essential Medicines|WHO's List of Essential Medicines]].<ref name="WHO21st"/>

Potassium chloride contains 52% of elemental potassium by mass.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1088/1755-1315/648/1/012185 |title=Applications of guano and K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> on soil potential-P, potential-K on Andisols |date=2021 |last1=Zakiah |first1=K. |last2=Maulana |first2=M. R. |last3=Widowati |first3=L. R. |last4=Mutakin |first4=J. |journal=IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science |volume=648 |issue=1 |page=012185 |bibcode=2021E&ES..648a2185Z |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Overdose causes [[hyperkalemia]] which can disrupt cell signaling to the extent that the heart will stop, reversibly in the case of some [[Cardiac surgery|open heart surgeries]].<ref name="pmid29679302">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hoppe LK, Muhlack DC, Koenig W, Carr PR, Brenner H, Schöttker B |title=Association of Abnormal Serum Potassium Levels with Arrhythmias and Cardiovascular Mortality: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies |journal=Cardiovasc Drugs Ther |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=197–212 |date=20 April 2018 |pmid=29679302 |doi=10.1007/s10557-018-6783-0}}</ref><ref name="pmid37046560">{{cite journal |vauthors=Simon G |title=Detection of Fatal Potassium Overdose: A Case Report and Review of the Literature |journal=Diagnostics |volume=13 |issue=7 |date=4 April 2023 |page=1339 |pmid=37046560 |pmc=10093193 |doi=10.3390/diagnostics13071339|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="pmid38195532">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fan Y, Wu M, Li X, Zhao J, Shi J, Ding L, Jiang H, Li Z, Zhang W, Ma T, Wang D, Ma L |title=Potassium levels and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients with cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis of cohort studies |journal=Nutr J |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=8 |date=10 January 2024 |pmid=38195532 |pmc=10777575 |doi=10.1186/s12937-023-00888-z|doi-access=free }}</ref>