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. 2021 Feb 20;36(3):563-565.
doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa270.

Serum potassium laboratory reference ranges influence provider treatment behaviors for hyperkalemia

Jamie S Hirsch  1   2   3 , Rushang Parikh  1 , Safiya Richardson  2   4 , Kevin R Bock  3   5 , Vipulbhai Sakhiya  1 , Steven Fishbane  1 , Kenar D Jhaveri  1
Affiliations

Serum potassium laboratory reference ranges influence provider treatment behaviors for hyperkalemia

Jamie S Hirsch et al. Nephrol Dial Transplant. .
No abstract available

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Changes in SPS ordering patterns based on serum potassium reference upper limit. (A) The initial spike in SPS ordering occurred earlier, at a serum potassium of 5.2 mEq/L, when the reference upper limit was 5.1 mEq/L, whereas it occurred later when the reference upper limit was 5.3 mEq/L. (B) The maximal difference between the two groups occurred at a serum potassium of 5.3 mEq/L, with a 17.5% difference in cumulative distribution between the two groups. Blue rectangle highlights the area that was designated as hyperkalemia with a reference upper limit 5.1 mEq/L, but normokalemia at 5.3 mEq/L. (C) Interrupted time series examining the change in SPS ordering for a serum potassium level of 5.2–5.3 mEq/L. In the first period, with a serum potassium reference upper limit of 5.1 mEq/L, 9.8% of serum potassium results of 5.2–5.3 mEq/L (flagged as abnormal and high) resulted in an SPS order, whereas in the second period (reference upper limit 5.3 mEq/L), SPS was only ordered 0.9% of the time for the same serum potassium results (flagged as normal).
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