Description

Potassium citrate is a potassium salt of citric acid with the molecular formula C6H5K3O7. It is a white, slightly hygroscopic crystalline powder. It is odorless with a saline taste. As a food additive, potassium citrate is used to regulate acidity. Medicinally, it may be used to control kidney stones derived from either uric acid or cystine. Uses Potassium citrate is rapidly absorbed when given by mouth and is excreted in the urine as the carbonate. It is, therefore, effective in reducing the pain and frequency of urination when these are caused by highly acidic urine. It is used for this purpose in dogs and cats, but is chiefly employed as a non-irritating diuretic. Potassium citrate is an effective way to treat/manage gout and arrhythmia, if the patient is hypokalemic. In common with other substances that render the urine alkaline, it may be used to reduce the danger of crystalluria during sulfonamide therapy. It is widely used to treat urinary calculi (kidney stones), and is often used by patients with cystinuria. A study of **0 patients with recurrent stones found that it reduced the frequency of stones from 2 per year to a half per year. It is also used in many soft drinks as a buffering agent.