QuestionI know the norm level range for potassium is 3.5 to 5 & anything outside of that range is considered either too high/low. What I want to know is: Just how dangerous is a level of 2.8?
A relative had a normal level several months ago but this wk when entering the hospital for something else the labs came back w/ a level of 2.8. She is being given a potassium drip.
She also has COPD.
Once again, I do know that too high OR too low of a level is dangerous but I want to know how bad is 'bad' on either end actually.
Thanks for Your Time, JMT
AnswerI'd be glad to try and answer your question. A potassium of anything less than 3.0 at the lab I work at would be referred to as a "panic" or a "critical" value, which means it needs to be called directly to the doctor (or a nurse if the patient is in the hospital or emergency room). So this means that it needs taken care of pretty quickly. Usually this result is repeated to verify that it is indeed that low. Don't be alarmed though, a low potassium is fairly easy to treat, with the potassium drip you referred to in your question. This potassium level will be watched over the next few days to make sure it goes back to normal. Causes of such a low potassium could be dehydration, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Samantha
