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 …

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