Acid/ Base Flashcards
Acid
Proton donor [HA]
Base
Proton acceptor [A-]
Buffer
Solution which consists of a weak acid and its conjugate base, which has the ability to minimise changes in [H+] when an acid or base is added to it - physicochemical process
HA (weak acid) + Base <=> A- (conjugate base) + BaseH
Efficacy of a buffer system determined by
- pKa of the buffer
- pH of the solution
=> Buffers have greatest buffering capacity when pH = pKA (+/- 1) - Amount of buffer
- Open vs closed system
=> An open buffer system can have the amount of chemical at one (or both) ends adjusted by physiological means.
Acidaemia
Arterial blood pH <7.35
Intracellular buffers
- Hb - major buffer for H+ which is produced in the red cell when HCO3- is formed from CO2 + H2O. Deoxyhb is more powerful buffer than oxyHb so O2 unloading assists in increasing the carriage of CO2 (Haldane effect)
- Proteins and phosphates (organic and inorganic)
Extracellular buffers
- Bicarb - present in highest concentration, major ECF buffer
- Calcium bicarb in bone
- Plasma proteins
- (Hb)
Henderson-Hasselbach equation
pH = pka + log [A-]/[HA]
Anion Gap
Gap between measured cations and anions. Used to determine the presence of unmeasured anions. (Albumin often the major unmeasured)
AG = [Na+] - ([Cl-]-[HCO3-])
Normal AG = 8-16mmol/L
Causes of increased AG acidosis
MUDPILES
Methanol
Uraemia
DKA
Paraldehyde
Isoniazid
Lactic acid
Ethylene glycol
Salicylates
Temperature + Solubility
As temperature falls partial pressure falls.
Decr temp => decr kinetic energy => incr solubility, but total CO2 content remains constant => decr PaCO2
- Left shift of Hb-O2 dissociation curve => incr O2 solubility, decr PaCO2
Partial Pressure
Hypothetical pressure exerted by that gas if it alone occupied the entire volume of the original mixture at the same temperature
Total pressure of an ideal gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of the gases in the mixture (Dalton)
Temperature + pH
As temperature falls, pH rises
- Decr ionic dissociation of H2O => decr H+ activity => incr pH
- Metabolic rate is reduce so CO2 production is reduced
- CO2 solubility is increased as PaCO2 is reduced
Role of kidney in excretion of acids
- Recover filtered HCO3-
- 4000-5000mmol of HCO3- filtered/day
- H+ is secreted into tubular lumen and combines with filtered HCO3-
- HCO3- rendered soluble => reabsorbed
- No net H+ excretion through this process - Excrete fixed acids
- Kidney is only way to excrete fixed/ non-volatile acids
- Daily load 50-100mmol
- Excreted in 2 main ways:
=> Formation of NH4+
=> Buffering via ‘titratable acidity’
- No net H+ excretion through this process - Make extra HCO3- in setting of acidosis
- via up regulation excretion of fixed acids
- No net H+ excretion through this process
Ammonium and excretion of acids
- Excretes 75% of metabolic acids
- Glutamine is metabolised in tubular cells releasing NH4+ into the lumen and HCO3- into blood
- This is new HCO3-, an important feature
- NH4+ gets reabsorbed by tubular cells then pumped back into the lumen of the CD then excreted