Hyperkalaemia

Essay A patient in hospital presented with a serum potassium concentration of 6.6mmol/L. Discuss the possible causes, further investigation and any consequences of this finding. Potassium is the predominant intracellular cation. This means that serum potassium concentrations are a poor indicator of total body potassium, as only 2% exists in the extracellular fluid. It is disturbances in the balance between the extracellular and intracellular concentrations that cause raised serum potassium levels, which may even occur …showed first 75 words of 1176 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1176 total…needed. Once the patient has been treated to return the serum potassium levels to normal, any further treatment, once a diagnosis of any underlying disease has been made, can be commenced. Bibliography Smith, A.F. Beckett, G.J. Walker, S.W. Rae, P.W.H. (1998) Lecture Notes on Clinical Biochemistry. 6th edition. Blackwell science. Pgs 15 - 31. Marshall, W.J. (1995) Clinical Chemistry. 3rd edition. Mosby, London. Pgs 28 – 33. Parums, D.V. (1996) Essential Clinical Pathology. Blackwell science. Pgs 228 – 229.