Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts vigorously with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite hydrogen emitted in the reaction and burning with a lilac flame.
An antianginal is any drug used in the treatment of angina pectoris, a symptom of ischaemic heart disease.
All patients with stable angina should be treated with aspirin and a statin, unless contraindicated.1 ACE inhibitors are recommended for patients with co-existing conditions that would benefit from this treatment (Table 2). Table 2: Medicines to improve prognosis for stable angina (adapted from Abrams, 2005)2.