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Hypokalemia test; K+
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
If it is difficult to get the needle into the vein to take the blood sample, injury to the red blood cells may cause potassium to be released, causing a falsely high result.
Mount DB, Zandi-Nejad K. Disorders of potassium balance. In: Brenner BM, eds. Brenner and Rector’s The Kidney. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 15.
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