A 35-year-old patient has a serum potassium level of 5.6 mmo…
A 35-year-old patient has a serum potassium level of 5.6 mmol/L. The laboratory report lists the reference range for serum potassium as 3.5–5.1 mmol/L. The provider contacts the lab to ask whether this value should be considered abnormal. Which of the following best explains how the reference range should be used in this context?