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Sodium polystyrene sulfonate is a resin that exchanges sodium for potassium in the gastrointestinal (GI) lumen. Prescribed for treatment of patients with hyperkalemia, it has been implicated in GI injuries. In this Canadian retrospective cohort study, researchers identified about 20,000 first-time recipients (mean age, 79) of outpatient sodium polystyrene sulfonate prescriptions. The same number of nonusers were selected by propensity-matching based on many renal, cardiac, and medication factors. Most patients were taking antihypertensives and diuretics that can cause hyperkalemia.
The composite measure of adverse GI events included emergency department or hospital reports of intestinal ischemia or thrombosis, GI ulceration or perforation, o…