Laboratory medicine
Clinical teaching and practical ideas for your next study session.
Medical Education
Cold Specimens and High Potassium: The Transport Clue
Cold transport before blood cells are separated can raise measured potassium. Learn why specimen temperature matters, what it cannot prove, and how to ask the laboratory for a reliable repeat.
Medical Education
Pseudohyperkalemia: When the Sample, Not the Patient, Adds Potassium
A normal repeat does not identify the artifact. Trace how clotting, fragile blood cells, fist pumping, and specimen handling can raise measured potassium—and choose a confirmation that fits the suspected source.