Definition. CO2 is carbon dioxide. This article discusses the laboratory test to measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the liquid part of your blood, called the serum. In the body, most of the CO2 is in the form of a substance called bicarbonate (HCO3-). Therefore, the CO2 blood test is really a measure of your blood bicarbonate level.
Potassium can cause stomach upset, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal gas, and other side effects. Too much potassium is UNSAFE and can cause feelings of burning or tingling, generalized weakness, paralysis, listlessness, dizziness, mental confusion, low blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, and death.
One way your body regulates blood potassium levels is by shifting potassium into and out of cells. When there is a breakdown or destruction of cells, the electrolyte potassium moves from inside of the cell to outside of the cell wall. This shift of potassium outside of the cells causes hyperkalemia. Potassium is excreted (or flushed out of your system) by your kidneys. Any damage to your kidneys, when they are not working properly, may cause an increase in potassium levels leading to hyperkalemia.