Renal potassium wasting

What it means

High urine potassium in the presence of hypokalemia.

A urine potassium assay can be used to determine the cause of reduced serum potassium (hypokalemia). Normally, the kidney will reabsorb more potassium in the presence of hypokalemia. Therefore, a low urine potassium can suggest gastrointestinal potassium loss, poor dietary intake, or a shift of potassium from the extracellular to the intracellular space. On the other hand, a high urine potassium in the face of low serum potassium indicated renal loss, referred to as renal potassium wasting.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Renal K wasting