Potassium in the urine
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Potassium in the urine is an important marker, an indicator of normal, healthy diet, as well as the state of the hormonal system, assessing the degree of intoxication, if any diagnosed. In addition, potassium in urine is a sign of normal functioning of the kidneys.
Potassium is considered one of the most important macro elements in the body, considered biogenic, since it is intracellular (98% potassium is inside the cells). A small percentage (2%) are located outside the cells and this small part is responsible for the normal contraction of muscle tissue, the transmission of the electrical nervous signal - the impulse, and the normalization of blood pressure. Potassium is located in almost all human organs, but especially in those where there are muscles, that is, in the heart and kidneys. There is also a lot of potassium in the brain. If a person is subjected to stress, chronic or single, then the body immediately loses manganese and potassium.
Potassium in the urine depends on the specifics of the nutrition, acid-base balance, taking certain drugs and age.
The norm that should be potassium in the urine is as follows:
- Children - from 10 to 60 mmol/day;
- Adults-from 30-100 mmol/day.
Potassium is excreted mainly by the kidneys and this process is regulated by filtering in the renal glomerulus and energy reabsorption in the kidneys.
Potassium in the urine makes it possible to evaluate the loss of this important macroelent during the day. Such studies are especially important for seriously ill people (resuscitation), since potassium analysis helps to replace the replacement of potassium therapy in a timely manner.
Potassium in the urine is released too intensively when taking diuretic drugs, polyuria as a result of nephritis, diabetic acidoses. Also, potassium can also be excreted in severe intoxications or elementary starvation. Hyperkaliuria-too high potassium concentration can occur during blood transfusion, if the material does not fit the recipient, also with the pituitary hyperplasia (Izenko-Cushing syndrome), renal pathology. In addition to diuretics, the concentration of potassium in the urine is increased by hormonal drugs, such as hydrocortisone or cortisone. Hypokaliuria - a decrease in potassium concentration is a symptom of severe dehydration, nutritional failure (lack of potassium in food), diarrhea, glomerulonephritis, nephrosclerosis or pyelonephritis.
Potassium in the urine strongly depends on the age of the patient and his lifestyle. The level of potassium is restored with special drugs, in mild cases - with a special diet, using products containing this important macroelent in high concentration. It can be yeast, where potassium is contained in large quantities, dried apricots or raisins, nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, some types of sea fish and many other, useful and absolutely not webbing products. Potassium in the urine stabilizes quite quickly, if there are no severe pathologies. If serious health problems are diagnosed, then it is impossible to raise potassium in the urine independently, since its level is closely related to the presence of other important micro and macro elements.
[