We are lucky in that, being a peripheral laboratory, all of our routine work
is collected in PST whilst all of our "special biochemistry", for referral
to our central lab, is collected into SST.
However, the matter of (normal WCC/platelets) PST vs SST K ranges pales to
insignificance if we remember the effects of other analytical variables and
it may be timely to revisit an NEJM article which demonstrates that serum or
plasma K may be elevated up to 1 - 2 mmol/L by fist clenching alone!!
Burl R. Don, et al. Pseudohyperkalaemia caused by fist clenching during
phlebotomy. NEJM 1990; 18:1290-92
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