Hyperkalemia

Topic: Medical-surgical

Serum potassium above the lab's upper limit (typically 5.0–5.1 mmol/L), mainly from kidney failure, ACE inhibitors, potassium-sparing diuretics or tissue breakdown. It can cause muscle weakness, paresthesias and arrhythmias ranging from peaked T waves to cardiac arrest. Put the client on a cardiac monitor, remember that fist clenching during the blood draw can falsely raise the result, and review potassium sources.

Also known as:

High potassium

In Turkish:

Hiperkalemi