Potassium is an electrically charged particle, called an electrolyte, that works with other minerals and electrolytes to contract your muscles and maintain fluid and your acid-base balance. Approximately 98 percent of the potassium in your body is contained within your cells. The remaining 2 percent is divided between the fluid outside of your cells and the liquid portion of your blood, called the plasma. Because the percentage of potassium in your blood is so low, even small increases in blood potassium can have dangerous consequences.
Blood Levels
Normal blood potassium falls between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L. If the levels of potassium in your blood exceed 4.8 mEq/L, you have high blood potassium, or hyperkalemia. Potassium levels of 6.0 mEq/L or higher are considered very high and can be dangerous. Your doctor can measure the amount of potassium in your blood at a given time using a standard blood test.
Causes
The most common cause of high potassium levels is kidney disease or damage. The kidneys are responsible for filtering any excess potassium from the blood. If you have kidney damage, potassium accumulates in the blood. Other possible causes of hyperkalemia include dehydration, an infection, diabetes, Addison's disease and excessive potassium intake through the use of supplements. Certain medications, such as beta blockers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, may also cause high levels of potassium in the blood.
Complications
If left untreated, hyperkalemia can cause serious complications. Because potassium controls your muscle contraction and relaxation, it plays a vital role in your heartbeat. Too much potassium in your blood can cause your heart to beat abnormally and may lead to cardiac arrest. Hyperkalemia may also cause you to lose control of your muscles. The treatment for hyperkalemia depends on the specific underlying cause.
Considerations
Although high potassium levels in the blood can be caused by a variety of underlying medical conditions, it is possible to get an inaccurate potassium reading due to errors during the collection or processing of the blood sample. Possible causes of a false high potassium level include clenching and relaxing your fist while your blood is drawn, using contaminated specimen tubes, delayed specimen processing or crying while your blood sample is taken. If the health care provider drawing your blood uses a needle that is too large or too small or inserts the needle at the wrong angle, it may break your red blood cells, causing an inaccurate reading. Because of this, if you receive a high potassium reading, your doctor may recommend that your blood be tested on several different occasions in order to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of hyperkalemia.
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