Pseudohyperkalemia Associated With Leukemia.
Publication/Presentation Date
4-1-2022
Abstract
Elevated potassium levels can be a life-threatening emergency. We describe a case of falsely elevated serum potassium level in a patient with leukemia, which was suspected to be falsely elevated because the patient was asymptomatic with a normal electrocardiogram (EKG). Common reasons behind such a discrepancy in leukemia patients are the use of a tourniquet before collection, use of vacuum/pneumatic tubes for transportation, prolonged periods of incubation, use of heparin for sample collection, and processing of samples via centrifugation. Since the process is related to the method of collection and processing, we recommend using rapid point of care testing in such cases to differentiate between false and true potassium elevation, as it is a well-validated tool. Moreover, there is a good correlation between potassium measured with the blood gas, point of care, and central laboratory analyzers when the concentration of potassium is above 3 mEq/L.
Volume
14
Issue
4
First Page
23978
Last Page
23978
ISSN
2168-8184
Published In/Presented At
Shrestha, B., Rijal, S. S., Pokhrel, A., Paudel, A., Baral, K., Poudel, B., Basnet, S., & Donato, A. (2022). Pseudohyperkalemia Associated With Leukemia. Cureus, 14(4), e23978. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.23978
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
35541290
Department(s)
Department of Medicine, Department of Medicine Fellows and Residents, Fellows and Residents
Document Type
Article