Potassium

False elevations of potassium may be due to hemolysis or rupture of platelets during the coagulation process. The use of plasma potassium levels should be limited to those patients with spuriously elevated or depressed potassium levels due to blood samples left at room temperature, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with very high WBC counts (false decline), and those with thrombocytosis (increased platelets) with counts in excess of one million (false elevation).