> When staffing an out of hours service, often single-handedly, Medical
> Laboratory Scientists need to make decisions on how to report serum
> potassium results in haemolysed specimens.
As an MLSO who is often in this situation I suggest that the
correct action is to report the potassium result together with a
comment. Moderate visible haemolysis of a sample does not
necessarily indicate that the potassium result is incorrect.
Repeat non - haemolysed samples often have the same potassium
result as the earlier haemolysed sample.
Patients treated with haemoglobin - based blood substitutes can
appear grossly haemolysed but because the haemoglobin is not
derived from cell lysis there is no increase in potassium.
Mike Collins
Mike Collins MLSO3
Chemical Pathology & Immunology
The General Infirmary at Leeds,
Old Medical School, Thoresby Place
Leeds LS1 3EX, UK
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44 (0) 113 392 2915
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