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Test Code K Potassium, LAB114

Performing Laboratory

St. Luke's Hospital Cedar Rapids

Specimen Requirements

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Green-top (lithium heparin) tube-Hemolyzed specimen is not acceptable.

Acceptable: Gold-top serum gel tube or plain red-top tube

Minimum Specimen Volume: 15 µL plus a dead volume

Stability: Potassium in serum and plasma is stable for at least one week at refrigerator (2-8ºC) temperature and indefinitely frozen.

 

Reference Values

Age

Normal Range

Critical Low

Critical High

0-30 Days

3.5-5.0 mmol/L

≤ 3.1 mmol/L

≥7.0 mmol/L

>30 Days

3.5-5.0 mmol/L

≤ 2.9 mmol/L

≥6.1 mmol/L

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

Useful For

Potassium measurements are used to monitor electrolyte balance in the diagnosis and treatment of disease conditions characterized by low or high blood potassium levels. 

Methodology

ISE

Test Classification and CPT Coding

84132

Report Available

STAT within 1 hour of receipt.

Routine within 2 hours of receipt.