Pseudohyperkalemia is a laboratory artifact that can show a clinically nonsignificant hyperkalemia due to a variety of causes, including hematologic abnormalities, errors in blood sample collection, and complications of serum potassium measurement. Rarely, pseudohyperkalemia can present in a familial form.
Hematologic abnormalities are a common cause of pseudohyperkalemia and include significant leukocytosis or thrombocytosis. Pseudohyperkalemia is also often due to errors in blood sample collection, such as potassium release secondary to a tourniquet or hemolysis within the test tube. Pseudohyperkalemia can be a complication of serum potassium measurement due to excess potassium release from the clot that forms during the separation of serum. Familial pseudohyperkalemia is caused by hereditary xerocytosis. This defect causes red cell membrane abnormalities that increase cellular potassium leak within collection tubes. Plasma potassium measurement, which is becoming more common, is not often affected by these spurious elevations.
Pseudohyperkalemia
Alerts and Notices
Important News & Links
Synopsis
Codes
ICD10CM:
E87.5 – Hyperkalemia
SNOMEDCT:
14140009 – Hyperkalemia
E87.5 – Hyperkalemia
SNOMEDCT:
14140009 – Hyperkalemia
Look For
Subscription Required
Diagnostic Pearls
Subscription Required
Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
To perform a comparison, select diagnoses from the classic differential
Subscription Required
Best Tests
Subscription Required
Management Pearls
Subscription Required
Therapy
Subscription Required
References
Subscription Required
Last Reviewed:05/08/2019
Last Updated:01/23/2022
Last Updated:01/23/2022
Pseudohyperkalemia