Seasonal pseudohyperkalaemia in primary care: are there lessons to be learnt?

The authors investigate whether seasonal pseudohyperkalaemia, an artefactual elevation of serum potassium during colder months, is more prevalent in blood samples from primary care collected in winter compared to summer. Their findings reveal a significantly higher incidence of pseudohyperkalaemia in samples collected during colder weather, suggesting that longer transport times exacerbate the issue. They recommend improvements in sample transport and processing to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis and unnecessary patient harm.