Potassium deficit + replacement guidance
Total-body potassium deficit estimate (Kruse-Carlson heuristic, ~10 mEq per 0.1 mEq/L below target scaled by weight) from serum K, weight, and target K.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Serum potassium
- 3.0 mEq/L
- Weight
- 70 kg
- Target potassium
- 4.0 mEq/L
Result: Estimated total-body K deficit 100 mEq toward a target of 4 mEq/L.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What you enter
- Serum potassium
- Weight
- Target potassium
How this is calculated
Kruse JA, Carlson RW. Rapid correction of hypokalemia using concentrated intravenous potassium chloride infusions. Arch Intern Med. 1990;150(3):613-617. Deficit estimate ~10 mEq per 0.1 mEq/L below target; a planning aid only. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.