potassium iodide: clinical use

Prescribing considerations

• Use only within an authorised emergency response based on predicted radioactive iodine exposure.
• Review thyroid disease, renal or adrenal impairment, and medicines associated with high blood potassium.
• The selected product contains lactose.

Contraindications and cautions

• Hypersensitivity to potassium iodide or an excipient.
• Dermatitis herpetiformis.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Hypocomplementaemic vasculitis.
• Rare hereditary galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption, because this formulation contains lactose.

Monitoring

• Check neonatal TSH and, when indicated, T4 after exposure in the first weeks of life.
• Assess thyroid function when clinically indicated in people with pre-existing thyroid disease or symptoms after exposure.
• Consider serum potassium monitoring in people with renal or adrenal impairment or interacting medicines.

Clinical pharmacology

Oral iodide is almost completely absorbed, distributes to the thyroid and other iodine-transporting tissues, crosses the placenta and enters breast milk. Thyroid saturation limits radioactive iodine uptake; elimination is predominantly renal.

Formulation and product differences

• The selected product is a scored oral tablet divisible into equal portions.
• It may be chewed or swallowed whole, or ground and dispersed for babies and young children.
• It contains lactose monohydrate and should remain in its original packaging, protected from light and moisture.

Tablet

Route: Oral

Strengths: 65 mg