Potassium
Its Uses:
Potassium is measured as part of a routine medical exam, when you have symptoms such as weakness and/or cardiac arrhythmia, or when an electrolyte imbalance is suspected; at regular intervals when you are taking a medication and/or have a disease or condition, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) or kidney disease, that can affect your potassium level.
Interfering Factors:
- • Opening and closing of the hand with a tourniquet in place may increase potassium levels.
- • Hemolysis of the blood during venipuncture or during laboratory processing causes increased levels.
- • Drugs that may cause increased potassium levels include: aminocaproic acid, antibiotics, antineoplastic drugs, captopril, heparin, histamine, isoniazid, lithium, mannitol, potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements and succinylcholine.
- • Drugs that may cause decreased levels of potassium include: aminosalicylic acid, glucose infusions, amphotericin B, carbenicillin, cisplatin, diuetics, insuin, laxatives, lithium carbonate, salicylates (aspirin), and sodium polystrene sulfonate.
Diagnostic Significance:
Increased Levels of Potassium (hyperkalemia) may indicate:
- • Excessive dietary intake
- • Excessive IV intake
- • Acute or chonic renal failure
- • Addisons disease
- • Hypoaldosteronism
- • Crush injury to tissues
- • Hemolysis
- • Infection
- • Acidosis
- • Dehydration
Decreased level of potassium (hypokalemia) may indicate:
- • Deficient dietary intake
- • Deficient IV intake
- • Burns
- • Gastrointestinal disorders
- • Hyperaldosteronism
- • Cushing syndrome
- • Licorice ingestion
- • Infection
- • Renal tubularacidosis
• Insulin administration - • Ascites
- • Renal artery stenosis
- • Cystic fibrosis
Book your appointment today, call our clinic on 045 -844 819 or email: info@icim.ie
The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.