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Potassium test

This test measures the amount of potassium in the blood. Potassium (K+) helps nerves and muscles communicate. It
also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells.

Potassium levels in the body are mainly controlled by the hormone aldosterone.

Normal Results

The normal range is 3.7 to 5.2 mEq/L.

Note: mEq/L = milliequivalent per liter

What Abnormal Results Mean

High levels of potassium (hyperkalemia) may be due to:

 Addison's disease (rare)


 Blood transfusion
 Crushed tissue injury
 Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis
 Hypoaldosteronism (very rare)
 Kidney failure
 Metabolic or respiratory acidosis
 Red blood cell destruction

Low levels of potassium (hypokalemia) may be due to:

 Chronic diarrhea or use of laxatives


 Cushing syndrome (rare)
 Diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, and indapamide
 Hyperaldosteronism
 Hypokalemic periodic paralysis
 Not enough potassium in the diet
 Renal artery stenosis
 Renal tubular acidosis (rare)
 Vomiting

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

 Acute adrenal crisis


 Acute bilateral obstructive uropathy
 Acute nephritic syndrome
 Bulimia
 Chronic kidney failure
 Cushing's disease
 Cushing syndrome caused by adrenal tumor
 Cushing syndrome - exogenous
 Cushing syndrome - ectopic
 Diabetic ketoacidosis
 Primary thrombocythemia
 Renal tubular acidosis - distal
 Rhabdomyolysis
 Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis

Risks

There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to
another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from
others.

Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:

 Excessive bleeding
 Fainting or feeling light-headed
 Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
 Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

Considerations

If it is difficult to get the needle into the vein to take the blood sample, injury to the red blood cells may cause
potassium to be released, causing a falsely high result.

Alternative Names

Hypokalemia test; K+

Images

Blood test

Potassium

Potassium is the major positive ion (cation) found inside of cells. The chemical notation for potassium is K+. The
proper level of potassium is essential for normal cell function. Among the many functions of potassium in the body
are regulation of the heartbeat and the function of the muscles. A seriously abnormal increase in potassium
(hyperkalemia) or decrease in potassium (hypokalemia) can profoundly affect the nervous system and increases the
chance of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), which, when extreme, can be fatal.

 Increased potassium is known as hyperkalemia. Potassium is normally excreted by the kidneys, so


disorders that decrease the function of the kidneys can result in hyperkalemia. Certain medications may
also predispose an individual to hyperkalemia.
 Hypokalemia, or decreased potassium, can arise due to kidney diseases; excessive loss due to heavy
sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, eating disorders, certain medications, or other causes.

The normal blood potassium level is 3.5 - 5.0 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L), or in international units, 3.5 - 5.0
millimoles/liter (mmol/L).

Platelet count: The calculated number of platelets in a volume of blood, usually expressed as platelets per cubic
millimeter (cmm) of whole blood. Platelets are the smallest cell-like structures in the blood and are important for
blood clotting and plugging damaged blood vessels. Platelet counts are usually done by laboratory machines that
also count other blood elements such as the white and red cells. They can also be counted by use of a microscope.
Normal platelet counts are in the range of 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter (or 150 - 400 x 10 9 per liter). These
values many vary slightly between different laboratories.

What does the test result mean?


In an adult, a normal count is about 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood.

If platelet levels fall below 20,000 per microliter, spontaneous bleeding may occur and is considered a life-
threatening risk. Patients who have a bone marrow disease, such as leukemia or another cancer in the bone marrow,
often experience excessive bleeding due to a significantly decreased number of platelets (thrombocytopenia). As the
number of cancer cells increases in the bone marrow, normal bone marrow cells are crowded out, resulting in fewer
platelet-producing cells.

Low number of platelets may be seen in some patients with long-term bleeding problems (e.g., chronic bleeding
stomach ulcers), thus reducing the supply of platelets. Decreased platelet counts may also be seen in patients with
Gram-negative sepsis.

Individuals with an autoimmune disorder (such as lupus or idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), where the
body’s immune system creates antibodies that attack its own organs) can cause the destruction of platelets.

Certain drugs, such as acetaminophen, quinidine, sulfa drugs, digoxin, vancomycin, valium, and nitroglycerine, are
just a few that have been associated with drug-induced decreased platelet counts. Patients undergoing chemotherapy
or radiation therapy may also have a decreased platelet count. Up to 5% of pregnant women may experience
thrombocytopenia at term.

Platelet consumption may be observed in renal diseases. Thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and hemolytic uremic
syndrome (HUS) are seen in renal failure and can result in fewer circulating platelets in the blood. Similarly, a
condition known as splenic sequestration, where platelets pool within the spleen, can also cause a platelet decrease.

More commonly (up to 1% of the population), easy bruising or bleeding may be due to an inherited disease called
von Willebrand’s disease. While the platelets may be normal in number, their ability to stick together is impaired
due to a decrease in von Willebrand's factor, a protein needed to initiate the clotting process. Many cases may go
undiagnosed due to the mild nature of the disease. Many cases are discovered when a patient has to have surgery or
a tooth extraction or when delivering a baby. However, some cases are more severe and can be aggravated by use of
certain drugs, resulting in a life-threatening situation.

Increased platelet counts (thrombocytosis) may be seen in individuals who show no significant medical problems,
while others may have a more significant blood problem called myeloproliferative disorder. Some, although they
have an increased number of platelets, may have a tendency to bleed due to the lack of stickiness of the platelets; in
others, the platelets retain their stickiness but, because they are increased in number, tend to stick to each other,
forming clumps that can block a blood vessel and cause damage, including death (thromboembolism).

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