rss
J Clin Pathol 2003;56:385-387 doi:10.1136/jcp.56.5.385
  • Original article

Seasonal pseudohyperkalaemia

  1. D Sinclair1,
  2. P Briston1,
  3. R Young1,
  4. N Pepin2
  1. 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3LY, UK
  2. 2Department of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr D Sinclair; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK;
 david.sinclair{at}porthosp.nhs.uk
  • Accepted 10 January 2003

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the relation between ambient temperature and serum potassium concentrations in samples from primary care.

Methods: Potassium concentrations were estimated on general practitioner and hospital ward samples taken over a two year period using serum obtained from gel separator samples. The number of samples analysed from general practice during each month varied from 5093 to 8978 (mean of 7068 samples/month).

Results: As the temperature fell in winter, the mean daily serum potassium concentration rose in samples from general practice, with the inverse occurring during the warmer summer months. This effect was restricted to samples coming from general practice, with inpatient samples seemingly unaffected.

Conclusions: These results indicate that exposure of the samples to variations in ambient temperature during their transport to the laboratory profoundly affects measured serum potassium concentrations.

Footnotes

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.