Acid Base Balance Flashcards
What is PH?
PH is the measure of HYDROGEN. Acidity is high hydrogen, alkalinity is low hydrogen.
What are the 3 main systems that eliminate hydrogen?
Respiratory
Chemical Buffer system
Renal
What is the quickest- slowest systems to deal with excess hydrogen?
Chemical buffer system
Respiratory system
Renal system
What are the 4 buffer systems?
Bicarbonate buffer
Phosphate buffer
Protein buffer
Hemoglobin buffer
What is the main buffer system?
Bicarbonate buffer system
Is there more bicarbonate or carbonic acid in the body?
More bicarbonate.
What does the term volatile indicate?
It indicates it can be breathed off: excreted as gas.
What is the main end product of metabolism and how is it negated?
CO2 is the main end product.
CO2 diffuses out of cells through the interstitial fluid into blood.
It then forms carbonic acid (H2CO3)
Can then stay H2CO3, or become HCO3 + H (depending on current pH)
Is then transported to lungs and expelled as H2O and CO2
What is the respiratory reaction to excess acid (H+ ions)?
Increase resp rate
What are the lungs reaction for retention of acid?
Decrease resp rate/tidal volume. Retain more CO2
Why can’t the respiratory center alone restore pH balance?
The stimulus for increase respiration stops around pH 7.30.
What are some common causes of Metabolic ACIDOSIS
Diabetes
Starvation or carbohydrate reduced diet
Extreme exercise
Severe diarrhea (loss of HCO3)
Renal failure
Cardiac arrest
Acute alcohol intoxication
Salicylate overdose
Shock
What are some common causes of metabolic ALKALOSIS?
Excessive sodium bicarbonate administration
Prolonged volume depletion (excessive diuretic use)
Prolonged vomiting
Gastric suctioning
Hyperaldostonism
What are some causes of respiratory ACIDOSIS?
Lung disease with impaired gaze exchange (COPD, pneumonia)
Barbiturate overdose
Narcotic overdose
Head injury with damage to brainstem
Any condition with hypoventilation
What are some causes of respiratory ALKALOSIS?
Salicylate overdose (early stages - stimulation of resp center chasing loss of CO2)
High fever
Hysteria/voluntary over breathing
Overventilation
What is metabolic acidosis?
An acid base imbalance caused by increase in acid from a metabolic process or the loss of bicarbonate.
What is metabolic alkalosis?
An acid base disturbance resulting from the increase in bicarbonate, or the loss of fixed acids in the body.
What is respiratory acidosis?
An acid base disturbance associated with increase in carbonic acid (H2CO3) concentration.
Increased H2CO3 indicates that CO2 is not being blown off through the respiratory system.
What is respiratory alkalosis?
An acid base disturbance associated with decrease in carbonic acid (H2CO3).
Decrease H2CO3 indicates removal of too much CO2 through the respiratory system causing alkalosis.
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Starvation
Metabolic acidosis due to increased ketone production.
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Severe diarrhea
Metabolic Acidosis due to loss of bicarbonate ions.
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Cardiac arrest
Metabolic acidosis due to lactic acid
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
COPD
Respiratory Acidosis due to impaired gas exchange and retention of CO2.
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Severe pneumonia
Respiratory acidosis due to impaired gas exchange.
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Barbituate overdose
Respiratory acidosis due to decrease in ventilation
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Prolonged volume depletion due to diuretic use
Metabolic alkalosis due excretion of H+ ion in urine
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Prolonged vomiting
Metabolic alkalosis due to loss of gastric acid
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
High fever
Respiratory alkalosis due to stimulation of the respiratory center and loss of CO2
What would the following cause respiratory or metabolic, acidosis or alkalosis?
Hyperventilation
Respiratory alkalosis due to loss of CO2
If ph decreases, and pCO2 increases what kind of acid base disturbance is happening?
Respiratory acidosis
If pH decreases and pCO2 decreases what type of acid base balance issue is occurring?
Metabolic acidosis
