Re: K-40 Thread

[denison.8@osu.edu]

Jim,

It's been a while since my days as a Medical Lab Tech, but I seem to recall
the 'normal' range for potassium being 4.5 - 5.4 milliequivalents/litre in
plasma or serum.  Since one equivalent is the concentration of a an ionic
species needed to give one 'mole' of charge, this is essentially
millimolar.  I'm pretty sure that K+ concentration varies among tissues, so
you can't use this to calculate total body potassium.  Perhaps I'll wander
into the clinical chem offices on my way past University Hospitals tomorrow
and see if they have any more info I can snitch.  I knew I shouldn't have
pitched all those old Army lab manuals...

Eric

>Does anyone know:
>
>What is the "normal range" of K in the blood (for an individual? for
>different people? the difference for men and women?  for children?)
>How does that relate to cellular K levels?
>
>What is the half-time of K in the body for ingestion/elimination?
>
>What is a "high" K level? and the "low" K level (at which I must find
>K supplements to control the physiological effects of low K)?
>
>Regards, Jim
>muckerheide@mediaone.net

J. Eric Denison
Nuclear Engineering Program
The Ohio State University
2030 Robinson Laboratory
206 West 18th Avenue
Columbus OH 43210
(614) 292-3681 or -1074
denison.8@osu.edu


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