What is the maximum potassium dose per IV administration?

• A. 10 mEq
• B. 20 mEq
• C. 40 mEq
• D. 60 mEq

Answer: (C)

Potassium given IV must be limited and delivered slowly to prevent a rapid rise in serum potassium that can trigger dangerous heart rhythms. The highest total amount commonly used in a single IV administration is forty mEq. Infusing more than this in one dose increases the risk of hyperkalemia and cardiac arrest, especially if the infusion is not carefully monitored. In practice, potassium is usually given diluted and infused at a controlled rate (often capped at about ten mEq per hour through a peripheral line), and if larger replacement is needed, it’s split into multiple doses or infusions with ongoing monitoring. Smaller single doses are sometimes used as part of gradual correction, but they do not represent the maximum safe single-dose limit. A dose of sixty mEq in one go would exceed safe practice and raise the risk of life-threatening complications.