Final answer:
Hyperkalemia increases the resting membrane potential of the cell by allowing more potassium ions to move into the cell, making it less negative and closer to the depolarization threshold.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hyperkalemia would increase the resting membrane potential of the cell. When the concentration of potassium ions (K+) is higher outside the cell, this gradient difference allows more K+ to move into the cell. This inflow of positively charged ions makes the inside of the cell less negative, leading to a higher resting membrane potential, and thus moving it closer to the threshold for depolarization. This is why potassium channel blockers, like amiodarone and procainamide, can affect the heart since they impede the efflux of potassium during repolarization, an essential part of returning the cell to its resting state after an action potential.