Determinants of magnitude of pseudohyperkalemia in thrombocytosis.

The release of potassium from platelets is a well-known cause of pseudohyperkalemia in thrombocytosis. In predicting the magnitude of pseudohyperkalemia associated with thrombocytosis, previous investigations considered only the amount of potassium released from platelets during blood clotting, although the increment in serum potassium during blood clotting depends on the quantity of potassium released from platelets as well as the volume of distribution of the released potassium, which is inversely proportionate to the hematocrit. The present study proposes a new mathematical formula to predict the magnitude of increase in serum potassium during blood clotting, and accuracy of this formula has been tested in a patient with thrombocytosis.