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Male urinary system
Male urinary system

Potassium - urine
Definition:
This test measures the amount of potassium in the urine.

Alternative Names:
Urine potassium

How the test is performed:
A spot urine potassium or a 24 hour urine potassium sample may be performed.
Your health care provider will instruct you, if necessary, to discontinue drugs that may interfere with the test. A 24 hour urine collection is usually performed as follows:
  • On day 1, urinate into the toilet upon arising in the morning.
  • Collect all subsequent urine (in a special container) for the next 24 hours.
  • On day 2, urinate into the container in the morning upon arising.
  • Cap the container. Keep it in the refrigerator or a cool place during the collection period. Label the container with your name, the date, the time of completion, and return it as instructed.
Infant:
Thoroughly wash the area around the urethra. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end), and place it on your infant. For males, the entire penis can be placed in the bag and the adhesive attached to the skin. For females, the bag is placed over the labia. Place a diaper over the infant (bag and all). The infant should be checked frequently and the bag changed after the infant has urinated into the bag. For active infants, this procedure may take a couple of attempts -- lively infants can displace the bag, causing an inability to obtain the specimen. The urine is drained into the container for transport to the laboratory.

Deliver it to the laboratory or your health care provider as soon as possible upon completion.
How to prepare for the test:
No special preparation is necessary for this test, but if the collection is being taken from an infant, a couple of extra collection bags may be necessary.
How the test will feel:
This test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.
Why the test is performed:
This test is usually performed to detect or confirm the presence of conditions that affect body fluids (for example, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea) or disorders of the kidneys or adrenal glands, which are the source of the aldosterone (for more information see the aldosterone test).

The serum (blood) and urine potassium depend on many factors. Aldosterone is a steroid hormone that plays a major role in regulating potassium levels within the body. Aldosterone increases the loss of potassium in the kidneys. Potassium is also affected by acid/base balance because potassium exchanges with hydrogen, to some extent, across cell membranes.
Normal Values:
The usual range for a person on a regular diet is 25 to 120 mEq/L/day. However, lower or higher urinary levels may occur depending on dietary potassium intake and the relative amount of potassium in the body.

Note: mEq/L = milliequivalents per liter
What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal results are indicated as follows:

Greater-than-normal urine potassium levels may indicate:

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:
What the risks are:
There are no risks.
Special considerations:
Deficient or excessive amounts of potassium in the diet may affect test results.

Drugs that can increase urine potassium measurements include diuretics, glucocorticoids, certain antibiotics, and NSAIDS.
Review Date: 1/20/2002
Reviewed By: Andrew Koren, M.D., Department of Nephrology, NYU-Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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