Potassium

When I have had potassium issues it was due to dehydration. You could try some high potassium foods such as bananas and potatoes to help.

Don't eat potassium rich foods if you're having HIGH potassium levels!  That won't help, and can drive the level higher. 

 

 

The most common cause of high potassium (if it's a single lab result) is essentially a lab error. If the blood is handled roughly during collection (or any time before analysis), the red blood cells can break open and make the result meaningless.

 

If you know the measurement is correct, other causes (copied/edited from Mayo) include kidney disease, Addison's disease (adrenal failure - which can be simulated by stopping long-term prednisone too quickly), Alcoholism, ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, Destruction of red blood cells due to severe injury or burns, Excessive use of potassium supplements, and Type 1 diabetes.

If the potassium being high is due to blood clumping, mishandling, being poorly drawn, etc. the lab should state that there was hemolysis of the sample, though. It's usually obvious to them if a sample is corrupt, and it's generally attached to the result.

Rachel, I completely agree with the "should," "usually," and "generally." Unfortunately they still report the potassium measurement on a hemolyzed sample, even when it shouldn't be used. The number gets disseminated, and the comment is prone to getting missed.

I don't know. Guess working in a university ICU where turnaround for labs and reporting is fast has me spoiled. And every doc I work with would redraw a sample that was high and out of range.

 

Our lab has to call and report to the bedside nurse every single out of range result, and we have to document it all on a critical reports flow sheet in our computer charting.

Also, it all depends on what you consider high. Being slightly out of range is not necessarily clinically signifigant. 

 

Jan