Question

If a patient has potassium level of 4.5 mmol/L and you perform the phlebotomy again but the patient pumps their fist (and phlebotomy proceeds without releasing the tourniquet) what would be the expected result?

a) Increase in potassium
b) Decrease in potassium
c) No change in potassium
d) Variable change in potassium

Answer 1

If a patient pumps their fist during a phlebotomy procedure without releasing the tourniquet, it can cause option a) increase in the potassium level in the blood.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient has a potassium level of 4.5 mmol/L and they pump their fist during a phlebotomy procedure without releasing the tourniquet, the expected result would be an increase in potassium in the blood.

Phlebotomy is the process of drawing blood from a patient for diagnostic testing. When a patient pumps their fist during a phlebotomy, it can cause the release of potassium from the cells into the bloodstream, leading to an increase in potassium levels.

In normal circumstances, the potassium level in the blood is tightly regulated. However, pumping the fist can disrupt this balance and result in a temporary increase in potassium concentration.