What is potassium?
Like sodium and calcium, potassium is a mineral. In 1807, Sir Davy first discovered potassium in potash (a type of ash).

•  “K+” is the symbol for potassium (from kalum, the Latin word for potash). The “+” sign indicates it is an electrolyte that carries a positive charge.
• Most of the body’s potassium is located inside the cells with only a small amount in the blood. For patients, the preferred range for the serum (blood) potassium is 3.5 to 5.5. meq/l.

Download an article about potassium by Donna Swartzendruber, DaVita Clinical Education Team