How do potassium levels impact your health. What are the normal ranges for blood potassium. How can abnormal potassium levels affect your heart and muscles. What causes high and low potassium levels in the blood. How are potassium imbalances diagnosed and treated.

The Importance of Potassium in the Human Body

Potassium is a crucial electrolyte that plays a vital role in various bodily functions. It helps nerves and muscles communicate, facilitates the movement of nutrients into cells, and aids in the removal of waste products from cells. The hormone aldosterone primarily regulates potassium levels in the body.

Why is potassium so important for our health? Here are some key reasons:

• Maintains proper heart rhythm
• Supports muscle function
• Regulates blood pressure
• Aids in nerve signal transmission
• Helps balance fluids and electrolytes

Understanding Blood Potassium Tests

A blood potassium test, also known as a serum potassium test, measures the amount of potassium in the fluid portion of the blood. This test is often part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel.

How is the test performed?

The test involves drawing blood from a vein, typically from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A healthcare professional inserts a needle into the vein and collects the blood in an air-tight vial or syringe.

Preparing for the test

Your healthcare provider may instruct you to stop taking certain medications before the test, as they can interfere with the results. It’s crucial not to stop or change any medications without consulting your doctor first.

What to expect during the test

You may experience slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. Some people also report feeling a throbbing sensation at the site after the blood is drawn. These sensations are typically mild and short-lived.

Normal Potassium Levels and Their Significance

The normal range for blood potassium levels is typically between 3.7 and 5.2 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) or 3.70 to 5.20 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). However, it’s important to note that normal ranges may vary slightly between different laboratories.

Why is maintaining normal potassium levels crucial for our health?

• Ensures proper heart function
• Supports normal muscle contractions
• Helps maintain stable blood pressure
• Facilitates efficient nerve signaling
• Promotes overall cellular health

Hyperkalemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Risks

Hyperkalemia refers to high levels of potassium in the blood, typically above 5.2 mEq/L. This condition can be dangerous if left untreated, as it can lead to serious heart problems.

Common causes of hyperkalemia

• Kidney disease or failure
• Certain medications (e.g., ACE inhibitors, potassium-sparing diuretics)
• Addison’s disease
• Severe dehydration
• Excessive potassium supplementation
• Massive tissue damage (e.g., burns, trauma)

Symptoms of hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia often develops slowly and may not cause noticeable symptoms until levels become dangerously high. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

• Muscle weakness or fatigue
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Nausea or vomiting
• Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
• Shortness of breath

Risks associated with hyperkalemia

High potassium levels can lead to serious complications, including:

• Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms)
• Ventricular fibrillation (a life-threatening heart rhythm disturbance)
• Cardiac arrest
• Muscle paralysis

Hypokalemia: Understanding Low Potassium Levels

Hypokalemia occurs when blood potassium levels fall below 3.7 mEq/L. While less common than hyperkalemia, low potassium levels can also cause significant health problems.

Causes of hypokalemia

• Excessive fluid loss (e.g., severe diarrhea, vomiting)
• Certain medications (e.g., diuretics, laxatives)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Cushing’s syndrome
• Magnesium deficiency
• Eating disorders (e.g., bulimia)

Symptoms of low potassium

Symptoms of hypokalemia may include:

• Muscle weakness or cramping
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Heart palpitations
• Tingling or numbness

Complications of untreated hypokalemia

If left untreated, low potassium levels can lead to:

• Arrhythmias
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Muscle damage
• Respiratory failure
• Paralysis

Diagnosing Potassium Imbalances

Diagnosing potassium imbalances typically involves a combination of blood tests, physical examinations, and medical history evaluation.

When is a potassium test ordered?

Healthcare providers may order a potassium test in the following situations:

• As part of routine health screenings
• To diagnose or monitor kidney disease
• When investigating heart problems or high blood pressure
• To evaluate symptoms suggestive of potassium imbalance
• To monitor potassium levels in patients taking certain medications

Additional diagnostic tests

In addition to blood potassium tests, healthcare providers may order:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) to assess heart function
• Urinalysis to evaluate kidney function
• Other blood tests to check for underlying conditions
• Hormone tests (e.g., aldosterone levels)

Treatment Options for Potassium Imbalances

The treatment for potassium imbalances depends on the severity of the condition and its underlying cause.

Treating hyperkalemia

Treatment options for high potassium levels may include:

• Medications to help remove excess potassium from the body
• Diuretics to increase potassium excretion through urine
• Insulin and glucose administration to help move potassium into cells
• Calcium gluconate to protect the heart from the effects of high potassium
• Dialysis in severe cases or for patients with kidney failure

Managing hypokalemia

Treatment for low potassium levels typically involves:

• Oral potassium supplements
• Intravenous (IV) potassium in severe cases
• Addressing underlying causes (e.g., adjusting medications, treating kidney problems)
• Magnesium supplementation, if needed
• Dietary changes to increase potassium intake

Preventing Potassium Imbalances

While some causes of potassium imbalances are unavoidable, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:

Dietary considerations

• Maintain a balanced diet rich in potassium-containing foods
• Be mindful of potassium intake if you have kidney problems
• Stay hydrated to support proper kidney function
• Limit alcohol consumption

Medication management

• Take medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider
• Inform your doctor about all medications and supplements you’re taking
• Regularly monitor potassium levels if you’re on medications that can affect them

Lifestyle factors

• Manage stress levels
• Exercise regularly, but avoid excessive sweating without proper hydration
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Quit smoking

Understanding and maintaining proper potassium levels is crucial for overall health and well-being. Regular check-ups and blood tests can help identify potential imbalances before they become serious. If you experience symptoms that may be related to potassium imbalances, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional promptly. By staying informed and proactive about your health, you can help ensure that your body maintains the delicate balance of electrolytes necessary for optimal function.

Potassium test Information | Mount Sinai

Hypokalemia test; Hyperkalemia test; K+

This test measures the amount of potassium in the fluid portion (serum) of 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.

Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.

How the Test is Performed

A blood sample is needed. Most of the time, blood is drawn from a vein located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.

How to Prepare for the Test

Many medicines can interfere with blood test results.

• Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test.
• DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first.

How the Test will Feel

You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. You may also feel some throbbing at the site after the blood is drawn.

Why the Test is Performed

This test is a regular part of a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel.

You may have this test to diagnose or monitor kidney disease. The most common cause of a high blood potassium level is kidney disease.

Potassium is important to heart function.

• Your provider may order this test if you have signs of high blood pressure or heart problems.
• Small changes in potassium levels can have a big effect on the activity of nerves and muscles, especially the heart.
• Low levels of potassium can lead to an irregular heartbeat or other electrical malfunction of the heart.
• High levels cause decreased heart muscle activity.
• Either situation can lead to life-threatening heart problems.

It may also be done if your provider suspects metabolic acidosis (for example, caused by uncontrolled diabetes) or alkalosis (for example, caused by excess vomiting).

Sometimes, the potassium test may be done in people who are having an attack of paralysis.

Normal Results

The normal range is 3.7 to 5.2 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) 3.70 to 5.20 millimoles per liter (millimol/L).

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

What Abnormal Results Mean

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

• Addison disease (rare)
• Blood transfusion
• Certain medicines, including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and the potassium-sparing diuretics spironolactone, beta adrenergic blockers, amiloride and triamterene
• Crushed tissue injury
• Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis
• Hypoaldosteronism (very rare)
• Kidney insufficiency or failure
• Metabolic or respiratory acidosis
• Red blood cell destruction
• Too much potassium in your diet

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

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

Risks

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

Mount DB. Disorders of potassium balance. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector’s The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 17.

Patney V, Whaley-Connell A. Hypokalemia and hyperkalemia. In: Lerma EV, Sparks MA, Topf JM, eds. Nephrology Secrets. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 74.

Seifter JL. Potassium disorders. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 109.

Last reviewed on: 5/1/2021

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. D.A.M. Editorial team.

Low potassium level Information | Mount Sinai

Potassium – low; Low blood potassium; Hypokalemia

Low blood potassium level is a condition in which the amount of potassium in the blood is lower than normal. The medical name of this condition is hypokalemia.

Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.

Causes

Potassium is an electrolyte (mineral). It is needed for cells to function properly. You get potassium through food. The kidneys remove excess potassium through the urinary system to keep a proper balance of the mineral in the body.

Common causes of low blood potassium include:

• Medicines, such as diuretics (water pills), certain antibiotics (amphotericin B, chloroquine at toxic levels)
• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Eating disorders (such as bulimia)
• Hyperaldosteronism
• Laxative overuse, which can cause diarrhea
• Chronic kidney disease
• Low magnesium level
• Sweating
• Genetic disorders, such as hypokalemic periodic paralysis, Bartter syndrome

Symptoms

A small drop in potassium level often does not cause symptoms, which may be mild, and may include:

• Constipation
• Feeling of skipped heart beats or palpitations
• Fatigue
• Muscle damage
• Muscle weakness or spasms
• Tingling or numbness

A large drop in potassium level may lead to abnormal heart rhythms, especially in people with heart disease. This can cause you to feel lightheaded or faint. A very low potassium level can even cause your heart to stop.

Exams and Tests

Your health care provider will order a blood test to check your potassium level. Normal range is 3.7 to 5.2 mEq/L (3.7 to 5.2 mmol/L).

Other blood tests may be ordered to check levels of:

• Glucose, magnesium, calcium, sodium, phosphorous
• Thyroid hormone
• Aldosterone

An electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the heart may also be done.

Treatment

If your condition is mild, your provider will likely prescribe oral potassium pills. If your condition is severe, you may need to get potassium through a vein (IV).

If you need diuretics, your provider may:

• Switch you to a form that keeps potassium in the body. This type of diuretic is called potassium-sparing.
• Prescribe extra potassium for you to take every day.

Eating foods rich in potassium can help treat and prevent low level of potassium. These foods include:

• Avocados
• Baked potato
• Bananas
• Bran
• Carrots
• Cooked lean beef
• Milk
• Oranges
• Peanut butter
• Peas and beans
• Salmon
• Seaweed
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Wheat germ

Outlook (Prognosis)

Taking potassium supplements can usually correct the problem. In severe cases, without proper treatment, a severe drop in potassium level can lead to serious heart rhythm problems that can be fatal.

Possible Complications

In severe cases, life-threatening paralysis may develop, such as with hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your provider right away if you have been vomiting or have had excessive diarrhea, or if you are taking diuretics and have symptoms of hypokalemia.

Mount DB. Disorders of potassium balance. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector’s The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 17.

Seifter JL. Potassium disorders. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 109.

Last reviewed on: 5/1/2021

Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Brief description of the blood test for potassium with a breakdown of the results and the reason for the increased and decreased values ​​of the level of potassium in the human body

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A blood test for potassium is a comprehensive examination method that determines the acid-base balance, evaluates the effectiveness of treatment, and also identifies many diseases

Preparation for the study:

• It is forbidden to smoke immediately before taking blood
• Avoid fatty, fried, spicy foods and alcohol from the diet the day before the examination.
• Do not take drugs, undergo FG or X-ray before the examination

Biomaterial type: venous blood

Synonyms (rus): Serum electrolytes

9002 1 Synonyms (eng): Electrolyte panel

Methods studies: inoselective electrodes

Units: mmol/l

Deadlines: 1 day

Why do you need a blood test for potassium?

Potassium is one of the body’s main electrolytes , which have the ability to conduct electrical charges, in addition, they maintain acidity and water balance in cells. Monitoring the level of potassium in the body is of great importance, as it allows you to identify even minor changes in this mineral compound, in which heart rhythm disturbances or other pathologies occur. Potassium enters the human body with food and then excreted by the kidneys.

A blood test for potassium is ordered by the attending physician or other specialist in the following conditions:

• cardiac arrhythmia;
• edema;
• general weakness;
• nausea;
• loss of consciousness.

With the help of the study of blood serum for electrolytes, diseases of the heart, kidneys, liver and many others are detected. A blood test is taken in the morning on an empty stomach from a vein using a syringe and tourniquet, after which it is examined by the method of ion-selective electrodes.

Explanation of the result of the analysis

Normally, the level of potassium in humans is from 3.5 to 5. 1 mmol per liter. A decrease in the concentration of potassium below 3.05 mmol per liter can occur with impaired kidney function (called a decrease in potassium “hypokalemia”). In this case, there is difficulty in breathing, vomiting and nausea, muscle weakness, excretion of feces and urine involuntarily.

A sharp increase in potassium above 7.15 mmol per liter is observed with a strong loss of fluid (this condition is called “hyperkalemia”). In this case, a slowing of the pulse, a drop in pressure, or a violation of sensitivity may appear. Also, deviations from the norm can be with diabetes mellitus, muscle disease, disruption of the cardiovascular system. An abnormal amount of potassium in the blood can be in the presence of toxic substances in the body, for example: oxalates, glycolates or aspirin.

The result of the study may be affected by the use of drugs such as estrogens, acetazolamide, phenylbutazone. Against the background of their intake, potassium may increase, and the result of the examination will not be accurate. The concentration of potassium may decrease while taking bicarbonates, theophylline, furosemide and metazalon.

Serum Potassium

Potassium is a mineral element that is an important part of most cells in the human body. It is the main intracellular ion. Together with sodium, it helps to maintain the necessary acid-base balance and ensures the normal functioning of nerves and muscles.

Russian synonyms

K, potassium ions, potassium in the blood.

English synonyms

Potassium, K, Serum.

Test method

Ion-selective electrodes.

Units

mmol/l (millimoles per litre).

What biomaterial can be used for research?

Venous blood.

How to properly prepare for the examination?

• Do not eat for 12 hours before the test.
• No smoking for 30 minutes prior to examination.

General information about the study

Potassium is a cation that interacts with other electrolytes: sodium, chlorine, bicarbonate; together they regulate the exchange of water in the body, muscle contractions, conduct nerve impulses and maintain acid-base balance. Potassium is excreted by the kidneys under the control of aldosterone produced by the adrenal glands in response to the production of angiotensin II and hyperkalemia.

The electrolyte is found mainly in the cells, only a small part of it is in the extracellular fluid and in the liquid part of the blood (plasma), this proportion is 2% of its total content in the body. The plasma potassium concentration is very low, so any, even small, changes will have pronounced consequences. With a significant increase or decrease in its level, a person’s health is in danger: from the development of shock to the formation of respiratory failure or cardiac arrhythmias. Deviations of this indicator from the norm can disrupt the transmission of impulses in muscle tissue and between neurons, for example, the heart muscle may lose the ability to contract.

What is research used for?

• To detect an increase or decrease in potassium levels – hyper- or hypokalemia – in a routine blood chemistry test.
• To control the level of potassium after the appointment of drugs that can affect it, such as diuretics, the frequent use of which is fraught with hypokalemia.
• To assess the patient’s condition in certain chronic diseases that lead to shifts in the concentration of potassium in the blood, for example, in chronic renal failure.

When is the examination scheduled?

• If you suspect any serious disease associated with a violation of the content of potassium.
• In conjunction with other electrolyte tests for a comprehensive assessment of electrolyte balance, especially when prescribing diuretics, heart medications or pressure problems.
• With arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease.
• During dialysis sessions, diuretic therapy, any intravenous therapy.
• For symptoms of hyperkalemia: excitability, diarrhea, convulsions, oliguria, cardiac arrhythmia with sharp T-waves and progressive gastric fibrillation.
• For symptoms of hypokalemia: malaise, thirst, polyuria, anorexia, weak filling pulse, low blood pressure, vomiting, decreased reflexes, ECG changes with reduced T waves.

What do the results mean?

Reference values: 3.5 – 5.1 mmol/l.

Increased potassium levels – hyperkalemia – may indicate:

• acute or chronic renal failure (impaired concentration and excretory function of the kidneys),
• Addison’s disease (insufficient production of mineralocorticoids responsible for the hormonal regulation of potassium levels),
• hypoaldosteronism (aldosterone is responsible for removing potassium from the body),
• extensive tissue damage (massive release of potassium from the cell),
• infectious diseases,
• diabetes,
• dehydration (blood thickening occurs),
• a large intake of potassium from food, such as fruits and vegetables (bananas, grapefruits, oranges, tomatoes, melons, potatoes) or juices,
• deficiency of mineralcorticoids (ACTH, cortisone and hydrocortisone),
• hyporenin hypoaldosteronism.

A decrease in the concentration of potassium occurs in such pathological conditions as:

• problems with the gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, diarrhea, overdose of laxatives, fistulas, malabsorption syndrome), leading to loss of fluid rich in electrolytes from the body,
• diabetic ketoacidosis,
• primary and secondary hyperaldosteronism,
• Bartter syndrome,
• osmotic/post-obstructive diuresis,
• Cushing’s syndrome (increased production of glucocorticoids that inhibit potassium reabsorption in the kidneys),
• lack of intake of potassium from food (rare).

Hypokalemia can lead to serious cardiac disorders: ventricular extrasystoles, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia.

What can influence the result?

• Some drugs increase potassium levels: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers (propranolol, atenolol), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (captopril, enalapril, lisinopril), potassium-sparing diuretics (amiloride, triamterene, spironolactone), heparin, histamine, mannitol, lithium.