In hyperkalemia, which pattern best describes the signs?

• A. Everything high except heart rate and urinary output, which are low.
• B. Everything low except heart rate and urinary output, which are high.
• C. Everything high, including heart rate and urinary output.
• D. No consistent pattern.

Answer: (A)

Hyperkalemia disrupts cardiac conduction and neuromuscular function, so you see signs that reflect high potassium in many systems, while the heart’s pace and kidney output often lag or decrease. When potassium is elevated, cells in the heart become less able to fire rapidly and conduct impulses efficiently, which tends to slow the heart rate. At the same time, kidney function or perfusion can be compromised, leading to reduced urinary output. The combination is a pattern where most signs are elevated (reflecting the high potassium and its systemic effects) but heart rate and urine output are diminished. This contrasts with patterns that would show increased heart rate or increased urine output, which are not typical of hyperkalemia.