Home Preparation Procedure for Emergency Administration of Potassium Iodide Tablets to Infants and Children Using 65 Milligram (mg) Tablets

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INTRODUCTION

If government authorities declare that a radiation emergency has occurred, you may have been exposed to radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide can prevent thyroid cancer in people who have been exposed to radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide is also known as “KI.” Children who have been exposed to radioactive iodine have a greater risk of thyroid cancer than adults do. You may need to make a KI solution (liquid form) for anyone who cannot swallow tablets. This sheet explains how to make and give the KI solution. FDA-approved KI tablets come in 65 mg and 130 mg strengths. Instructions for preparing the KI solution using two 65 mg tablets are given below. 

 To Make the Potassium Iodide (“KI”) Solution You Will Need:

• Two 65 mg KI tablets 

• Teaspoon
• Small bowl
• Four teaspoons of water
• Four teaspoons of a drink. We recommend any one of the following:

• Put two 65 mg KI tablets into a small bowl. Add four teaspoons of water. Soak the tablets for one minute. 

• Use the back of the teaspoon to crush the tablets in the water. At the end of this step, there should not be any large pieces of KI. This makes the KI and water mixture. 

• Choose a drink from the list above. Mix four teaspoons of the desired drink with the KI and water mixture made in Step 2. Adding the desired drink makes the final KI solution.

Step 4. Give the right amount of the final KI solution, using the chart below.

How Much of the Final Potassium Iodide (“KI”) Solution to Give Each Day