Potassium iodide

Administration

• Type: Antidote, antithyroid agent
• Dosage Forms:
• Routes of Administration: Oral
• Common Names: SSKI

Adult Dosing

• Post radiation exposure, thyroid injury prophylaxis: 130mg PO daily
• Induction of thyroid involution: 60-250mg PO TID for 10d prior to surgery

Pediatric Dosing

• Post radiation exposure, thyroid injury prophylaxis:
• <1mo: 16.25mg PO daily
• 1mo-3y: 32.5mg PO daily
• 3-12y: 65mg PO daily
• >12yo, <68kg: 65mg PO daily
• >12yo, >68kg: 130mg PO daily

Special Populations

• Pregnancy Rating: D
• Lactation risk: Infant risk cannot be ruled out
• Renal dosing: avoid
• Hepatic dosing:

Contraindications

• Allergy to class/drug
• Renal disorders
• Iodide-induced goiter

Adverse Reactions

Serious

• Goiter, hypothyroidism, thyroid adenoma
• Hypersensitivity reaction

Common

• Rash
• GI irritation
• Paresthesia

Pharmacology

• Half-life:
• Metabolism:
• Excretion: Renal

Mechanism of Action

• Protects the thyroid gland by blocking the uptake of radioactive isotopes of iodine

Indications by Condition

The following table is automatically generated from disease/condition pages across WikEM.

	Indication	Dose	Context	Route	Population
Thyroid storm#Potassium iodide Block hormone release (Wolff-Chaikoff effect) Adult	Thyroid storm	5 drops (250 mg) PO q6h (give 1 hour after PTU/methimazole)	Block hormone release (Wolff-Chaikoff effect)	PO	Adult

See Also

• Acute radiation syndrome
• Thyroid storm