Hyperkalaemia and its severity (UK Kidney Association, July 2026 update)
ukka2026_hyperkalaemia@1.0It is further classified by severity into mild (5.5-5.9 mmol/l), moderate (6.0-6.4 mmol/l) or severe (≥ 6.5 mmol/l).
UK Kidney Association, Clinical Practice Guidelines: Treatment of Acute Hyperkalaemia in Adults (2026) · Introduction, document page 9 (PDF page 10) · source
Contested: The guideline itself says 'There is no universally accepted definition of hyperkalaemia'; it adopts the ERC threshold of 5.5 mmol/L. CTCAE grades differ (see ctcae6_hyperkalaemia).
Not encoded: Pseudohyperkalaemia (guideline 15.3: haemolysis, delayed analysis, sampling technique) is not detected; a haemolysed sample is graded like any other unless the sender withholds it. Acute versus chronic (persistent) hyperkalaemia and the guideline's repeat-testing intervals (guidelines 1.2.1-1.2.3) are not encoded. ECG changes and clinical context are not assessed.