Hyperkalemia is an electrolyte disorder where a person has too much potassium in the blood. Electrolytes are minerals (like sodium and potassium) that carry an electrical charge. Hyperkalemia can lead to life-threatening problems with electrical conduction in the heart.

Elevated potassium due to pre-analytical factors that doesn’t truly reflect the patient’s electrolyte status is often termed pseudohyperkalemia. Distinguishing true hyperkalemia from pseudohyperkalemia is important for both laboratories and clinicians alike.