Loading…

Sustained hyperkalemia in an asymptomatic primary care patient. When to suspect familial pseudohyperkalemia

Study and management of a case with elevated potassium levels without apparent clinical causes in successive follow-up visits. We present the case of a primary care female patient who persistently exhibited elevated levels of potassium (5.3-5.9 mmol/L) in successive control laboratory tests, without...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advances in Laboratory Medicine / Avances en Medicina de Laboratorio 2022-10, Vol.3 (3), p.303-307
Main Authors: Castillo Pérez, Carlos, Rodríguez Alonso, Laura, Prados Boluda, Adrián, Cebrián Ballesteros, Marta, Torrubia Dodero, Blanca
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Study and management of a case with elevated potassium levels without apparent clinical causes in successive follow-up visits. We present the case of a primary care female patient who persistently exhibited elevated levels of potassium (5.3-5.9 mmol/L) in successive control laboratory tests, without an apparent clinical cause. The patient was ultimately referred to the Unit of Nephrology, where a potassium-low diet was indicated. Diet did not have any effect on potassium levels. After a thorough study, the cause of hyperkalemia could not be determined. The inconsistency between elevated potassium levels and the reason of consultation, and exclusion of other pre-analytical or pathological causes raised suspicion of familial pseudohyperkalemia. The sample was incubated at different times and temperatures to demonstrate their influence on levels of potassium in blood. Familial pseudohyperkalemia was established as the most probable diagnosis. Finally, the patient was discharged from the Unit of Nephrology and instructed to follow a normal diet.
ISSN:2628-491X
2628-491X
DOI:10.1515/almed-2022-0057