Potassium Chloride vs Sodium Chloride: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Potassium Chloride | Sodium Chloride | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | – |
| Brand names | Potassium Chloride Extended-Release | – |
| FAERS reports | 113,160 | 78,465 |
| Serious | 73% | 80% |
| Death outcome | 15,936 | 6,827 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Potassium Chloride | Sodium Chloride | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infusion site pain | 579 · PRR 8.7 | 1,153 · PRR 26.4 | Labeled (related wording) / Not in label — unassessed |
| Infusion site haemorrhage | 189 · PRR 11.4 | 376 · PRR 35.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Chronic sinusitis | 278 · PRR 14.8 | 249 · PRR 18.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Infusion site discharge | 144 · PRR 16.9 | 300 · PRR 56.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Female genital tract fistula | 205 · PRR 24.9 | 129 · PRR 21.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Infusion site infection | 148 · PRR 12.9 | 185 · PRR 23.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Vaginal flatulence | 183 · PRR 279.4 | 119 · PRR 170.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Potassium Chloride
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Labeled signals distinctive to Sodium Chloride
- None stood out among the strongest labeled signals.
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Potassium Chloride or Sodium Chloride?
Potassium Chloride has 113,160 FAERS reports and Sodium Chloride 78,465. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (73% vs 80%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for infusion site pain, infusion site haemorrhage, chronic sinusitis, infusion site discharge, female genital tract fistula. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Potassium Chloride or Sodium Chloride safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.