Phosphorus and potassium handouts, quizzes, and puzzle☆☆☆

Article Outline

• Eating out with potassium:
  • What should you do?
• Eating out with phosphorus:
  • What should you do?
• High phosphorus word search
• Copyright

As renal dietitians, we spend a major portion of our time counseling patients on phosphorus and potassium. Over time, it becomes difficult to find new ways to present the same information. Because patients need to be continuously re-educated, having the same information presented to them in new and fun ways is both motivating and necessary. Not only were the following handouts developed as basic educational pieces, but they were also used as a tool for educational contests at our dialysis center. We held a phosphorus contest at our unit and recorded all the patients' phosphorus levels from that month. To promote the event, we told all the patients about the contest and provided a written handout outlining all the details. Patients who lowered their phosphorus level in 1 month or who achieved the desired phosphorus level won a prize. In addition, the patient on each shift who lowered his or her phosphorus the most won a gift certificate to a local food store. Each week during the contest the patients were given a handout, a quiz, or a puzzle. Week 1, the patients were given a packet called “Steps Toward Good Phosphorus Control.” An introduction page on the impact of excess phosphorus on the body, a handout on phosphorus in the diet, and a question-and-answer page about phosphorus binders were provided. This packet was put together to explain the contest and to provide patients the needed tools to lower their phosphorus levels. Week 2, the patients were given a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on phosphorus. Assistance was provided for any patients that needed help reading or answering the quiz. In many instances, spontaneous and fun discussions would occur between patients as well as between patient and dietitian regarding the contest and quiz. Patients who obtained correct answers would explain to other patients (under the guidance of the dietitian) why certain answers were correct. For the other patients who preferred to take the quiz independently, quizzes were collected and “graded” with the correct answers provided. The quizzes were given back to the patients, sparking excellent conversation. Week 3, the patients were given a high phosphorus word search to reinforce the need to limit high-phosphorus foods in a fun and memorable way. The patients at my unit especially enjoyed this type of activity because many of them do word searches during their dialysis treatment. By the conclusion of the contest, 71% of the patients had lowered their phosphorus level or maintained it within the healthy range. Moreover, there was a 20% increase in number of patients obtaining a calcium-phosphorus product of ≤55. Fifty-one of the 80 patients received prizes, and 6 additional patients received food market gift certificates. The contest was indeed a success. The handouts, quizzes, and puzzle on the following pages were developed to teach and reinforce the renal diet in a fun and interesting way. It is my hope that other dietitians will find these materials and contest ideas helpful and that their patients will benefit in a similar way, just as mine did.

Potassium is a mineral that is needed for your muscles to work properly. Your heart is a major muscle and too much potassium can affect your heart and cause it to stop beating.

Fruits and vegetables are a major source of potassium. To control your potassium level, limit your intake of combined fruit and vegetable servings to 5 per day. Serving size is important. 1 serving is usually ½ cup or 1 small piece.

LIMIT THE FOLLOWING HIGH POTASSIUM FRUITS: MELONS: honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon DRIED FRUITS: figs, apricots, dates, prunes, raisins CITRUS FRUITS: orange, orange juice, tangelo, nectarine PASSION FRUITS: kiwi, mango, papaya, guava, casaba, coconut MISCELLANEOUS: bananas, avocados

LIMIT THE FOLLOWING HIGH POTASSIUM VEGETABLES: POTATOES: baked, mashed, sweet, white, french fries, chips TOMATOES: juice, soup, spaghetti sauce, salsa SQUASH: winter, acorn, hubbard, butternut, spaghetti, pumpkin DRIED BEANS: lima, red, garbanzo, navy, white, pinto, kidney, black DRIED PEAS: chickpeas, black-eyed, split peas, cowpeas, lentils MISCELLANEOUS: artichoke, baked beans, kohlrabi, spinach, parsnip, swiss chard, beet greens, rutabaga

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Eating out with potassium: 

What should you do? 

You and a friend decide to go out to a restaurant for lunch. The following foods are listed on the menu:

If your Potassium Level was 5.3 mg/dl at your last laboratory report,

Phosphorus is a mineral that is found in many foods you eat. When your kidneys are not working right, phosphorus builds up in the blood and causes many problems, including bone disease. Symptoms of a high phosphorus level include: itching, bone pain, weakness, joint pain, and broken bones. Eating right and taking your phosphate binders with your meals and snacks will help prevent bone disease.

LIMIT THE FOLLOWING HIGH PHOSPHORUS FOODS: DAIRY PRODUCTS: milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, pudding, custard, ice milk, cream soup DRIED BEANS: black, garbanzo, great northern, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, red, soy, white DRIED PEAS: black-eyed, green black-eyed, chickpeas, cowpeas, crowder, lentils, split peas CHOCOLATE and COCOA ALL NUTS and PEANUT BUTTER PORK and BEANS BROWN and WILD RICE ORGAN MEATS: brain, liver (beef and calf), liver sausage, liverwurst SEEDS: sunflower, squash, pumpkin SODA POP: Pepsi, Coke, RC Cola, Dr. Pepper, Mr. Pibb, and all diet and caffeine-free varieties of these colas

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Eating out with phosphorus: 

What should you do? 

You arrive at a friend's house for dinner and the following foods are available for you to select from:

If your Phosphorus Level was 6.1 mg/dl at your last laboratory report,

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High phosphorus word search 

The items listed in this word search include many of the high and moderately high phosphorus foods. See your dietitian for a more complete listing.