Overview
Introduction
A potassium result becomes a cardiac priority when it changes how myocardial cells depolarize or repolarize.
A potassium result becomes a cardiac priority when it changes how myocardial cells depolarize or repolarize. Hyperkalemia can progress from subtle repolarization changes to conduction failure, whereas hypokalemia prolongs repolarization and increases ventricular irritability. The ECG helps identify the direction of risk, but it is not a reliable measure of the potassium concentration: a patient with dangerous hyperkalemia may have few or no ECG changes. The LVN/LPN therefore connects the laboratory result with the rhythm, symptoms, kidney function, medications, and rate of change rather than waiting for a textbook tracing.