Acid-Base Balance

Question 1

Major chemicals to know:

Answer 1

Bicarb, Hydrogen, CO2

Question 2

Bicarb is a base or acid?

Answer 2

Base

Question 3

Hydrogen and CO2 is a base or acid?

Answer 3

Acid

Question 4

What is a lung chemical?

Answer 4

CO2 (Acid)

Question 5

What chemical is found in kidneys?

Answer 5

Bicarb and hydrogen

Question 6

What does pH tell you about blood?

Answer 6

if blood is acidic, alkaline, or neutral

Question 7

Normal pH range:

Answer 7

7.35-7.45

Question 8

pH below 7.35

Answer 8

acidosis

Question 9

pH above 7.45

Answer 9

alkalosis

Question 10

What does not like it when the pH is messed up?

Answer 10

the brain

Question 11

How does the kidneys help keep pH within normal range?

Answer 11

• remove acid through urine
• Bicarb hold on or excrete
• kidneys takes hours to days to do their job

Question 12

How does the lungs help keep pH within normal range?

Answer 12

• exhale C02
• hypoventilation retain CO2
• hyperventilation eliminate CO2
• lungs respond fast

Question 13

When you think respiratory acidosis, you should think?

Answer 13

HYPOVENTILATION

Question 14

What causes respiratory acidosis?

Answer 14

• Retain CO2

- mild abdominal pain incision, narcotics, sleeping pills, pneumothorax, collapsed lung, pneumonia

Question 15

S/S of Respiratory Acidosis:

Answer 15

• headache, confused, sleepy
• if not corrected can lead to coma
• hypoxic (give them O2)

Question 16

Early signs of Hypoxia:

Answer 16

RESTLESSNESS AND TACHYCARDIA

Question 17

Treatment of Respiratory Acidosis:

Answer 17

• fix breathing problem
• treat pneumonia
• pneumothorax pt will have chest tubes
• encourage post op to turn, fought, and deep breathing

Question 18

How to treat pneumonia?

Answer 18

• postural drainage
• percussion (vibration therapy)–> loosen secretions
• deep breathing exercises
• suctioning
• fluids
• elevate HOB
• incentive spirometry

Question 19

When thinking respiratory alkalosis, you should think??

Answer 19

HYPERVENTILATION

Question 20

Causes of Respiratory Alkalosis:

Answer 20

• hysterical
• acute aspirin overdose
• situation: hysterical pt

(pt is breathing too fast and therefore removing CO2)

Question 21

S/S of Respiratory Alkalosis:

Answer 21

lightheaded, faint, peri oral numbness and tingling in fingers and toes

Question 22

Treatment of Respiratory Alkalosis:

Answer 22

• Don’t wait for kidneys to kick in
• Breathe into a paper bag
• May sedate pt to decrease respiratory rate
• Treat the cause
• Monitor ABGs

Question 23

Causes of Metabolic Acidosis:

Answer 23

• DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)
• Starvation
• Renal failure
• Severe diarrhea

(Cells are starving for glucose, so the body will break down protein, and fat, produce ketones, ketones are acid)

Question 24

S/S of Metabolic Acidosis:

Answer 24

• depend on the cause
• hyperkalemia (muscle twitching, muscle weakness, flaccid paralysis, arrhythmias)
• increased respiratory rate

Question 25

S/S of hyperkalemia:

Answer 25

muscle twitching, muscle weakness, flaccid paralysis, arrhythmias

Question 26

Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis:

Answer 26

-treat the causes

Question 27

Causes of Metabolic Alkalosis:

Answer 27

• loss of upper GI content

- too many antacids…too much BASE

Question 28

S/S of Metabolic Alkalosis:

Answer 28

• depend on cause
• observe LOC
• Serum K+ will go up in metabolic acidosis and go down in metabolic alkalosis
• monitor for muscle cramps and life threatening arrhythmias

Question 29

Treatment of Metabolic Alkalosis:

Answer 29

• fix the problem

- replace potassium

Question 30

pH below 7.35

Answer 30

acidosis

Question 31

pH above 7.45

Answer 31

alkalosis

Question 32

PCO2 below 35

Answer 32

basic

Question 33

PCO2 above 45

Answer 33

acidic

Question 34

HCO3 below 22

Answer 34

acidic

Question 35

HCO3 above 26

Answer 35

basic