Potassium In Serum

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Contents 1 Indications 2 Reference-interval 3 Principle 4 Clinical-significance 5 Increases 6 Decreases 7 Specimen 8 More General Terms 9 Additional Terms 10 References

Indications

• evaluation of

• electrolyte balance
• cardiac arrhythmias
• muscular weakness
• hepatic encephalopathy
• renal failure

• monitoring during

• treatment of of ketoacidosis in diabetes mellitus
• intravenous therapy for fluid replacement
• treatment with diuretics or other pharmaceutical agents that effect serum K+
• ACE inhibitors
• angiotensin receptor blockers

Reference-interval

• Male & Female: 3.5 - 5.1 mmol/L

Principle

• See potassium (K+) in serum & urine

Clinical-significance

• see K+

Increases

• see hyperkalemia
• pharmaceutical agents:

• in vivo effects

• heparin, K+, spironolactone

• chemical interferences

• Ca+2, penicillin G

Decreases

• see hypokalemia
• pharmaceutical agents:

• in vivo effects

• ACTH, corticosteroids, amphotericin, glucose, insulin, oral diuretics, salicylates, tetracycline

Specimen

• No special patient preparation is required. However, the patient should avoid exercising the forearm before drawing sample because opening & closing the fist increases potassium levels by 10 to 20 percent.
  
• For serum preparation: Collect whole blood & allow to clot according to manufacturer's instructions. Specimens are collected in a red top vacutainer by venipuncture & should be separated immediately form the cells after collection.
  
• Plasma: Heparin may be used as an anticoagulant for plasma specimens; do not use potassium oxalate/ sodium fluoride for this test.
  
• Minimum sample size 0.5 milliliter: with an optimum size of 1.0 milliliters or larger.

More General Terms

• potassium (K+) in body fluid

Additional Terms

• 24 hour urine potassium (K+)
• hyperkalemia
• hypokalemia
• hypokalemic (K+ depleting) agent

References

1. Tietz, N. W.: Electrolytes, in Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Co., p. 617, 1987.
2. Friedman R. B., Young D. S.: Effects of Disease on Clinical Laboratory Tests, Washington, D. C.; AACC Press, 1990.
3. Package Inserts: Kodak Ektachem Clinical Chemistry Slide (K+) Kodak Clinical Products, Rochester, New York, 1992.
4. Kodak Ektachem 700 Analyzer Operator's Manual, Kodak Clinical Products, Rochester, New York
5. Kodak Ektachem Training Manual, Kodak Clinical Products, Rochester, New York, 1993.
6. Mayo Internal Medicine Board Review, 1998-99, Prakash UBS (ed) Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1998, pg 601.
7. Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods, 19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA. 1996, pg 11.

potassium (K+) in serum/plasma