A blood concentration reflects what was measured in the sample at a particular time. With an extended-release ingestion, imaging and endoscopy can answer a separate question about material still in the stomach.
What the case documented
The initial serum potassium was 3.9 mmol/L after a reported ingestion of extended-release potassium chloride alongside clonazepam and ethanol. Abdominal imaging showed multiple opacities in the stomach, and the team recovered 99 tablets by endoscopy, some in concretions. The report states that the patient did not subsequently develop hyperkalemia.
Which part of the exposure each finding supports
The initial blood result describes systemic potassium at sampling. The imaging and recovered material establish that tablets remained in the stomach when those procedures occurred. A single case cannot establish how much would have been absorbed without removal. For chronology, keep reported intake, confirmed retained material and measured systemic concentrations separate.
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