The effects of jaundice discoloration and lipemia of various concentrations on enzymatic method for determing serum potassium

Objective: To evaluate the effects of jaundice discoloration and lipemia of various concentrations on enzymatic method for determining serum potassium.Methods: Serum potassium concentrations of the lipemic or jaundice samples were assayed based on electryte dependent pyruvate kinase and the results were compared with those obtained by direct ion-selective electrodes(ISE).Results: When serum triglyceride concentration below 10.0 mmo1/L,the potassium results obtained by the two methods were not significant different and in good agreement(r=0.926 6),but when serum triglyceride concentrations above 10 mmol/L,the potassium results get by enzymatic method significantly lowed than those by ISE method,and for some grossly lipemic samples(23/43),enzymatic method get no potassium results.And jaundice discoloration had no effect on enzymatic determination serum potassium concentration,and the two methods had a good correlation(r=0.990 3).Conclusions: Middle(<10.0 mmol/L) not grossly(>.0 mmol/L) lipemia or icterus have no effects on enzymatic method for determination of serum potassium,and the enzymatic method offers a practical alternative to the use of ISE or flame photometry for measuring serum potassium on one clinical chemistry analyzer by spectrophotometry.