Acid-Base Balance Flashcards
Major chemicals to know:
Bicarb, Hydrogen, CO2
Bicarb is a base or acid?
Base
Hydrogen and CO2 is a base or acid?
Acid
What is a lung chemical?
CO2 (Acid)
What chemical is found in kidneys?
Bicarb and hydrogen
What does pH tell you about blood?
if blood is acidic, alkaline, or neutral
Normal pH range:
7.35-7.45
pH below 7.35
acidosis
pH above 7.45
alkalosis
What does not like it when the pH is messed up?
the brain
How does the kidneys help keep pH within normal range?
- remove acid through urine
- Bicarb hold on or excrete
- kidneys takes hours to days to do their job
How does the lungs help keep pH within normal range?
- exhale C02
- hypoventilation retain CO2
- hyperventilation eliminate CO2
- lungs respond fast
When you think respiratory acidosis, you should think?
HYPOVENTILATION
What causes respiratory acidosis?
- Retain CO2
- mild abdominal pain incision, narcotics, sleeping pills, pneumothorax, collapsed lung, pneumonia
S/S of Respiratory Acidosis:
- headache, confused, sleepy
- if not corrected can lead to coma
- hypoxic (give them O2)
Early signs of Hypoxia:
RESTLESSNESS AND TACHYCARDIA
Treatment of Respiratory Acidosis:
- fix breathing problem
- treat pneumonia
- pneumothorax pt will have chest tubes
- encourage post op to turn, fought, and deep breathing
How to treat pneumonia?
- postural drainage
- percussion (vibration therapy)–> loosen secretions
- deep breathing exercises
- suctioning
- fluids
- elevate HOB
- incentive spirometry
When thinking respiratory alkalosis, you should think??
HYPERVENTILATION
Causes of Respiratory Alkalosis:
- hysterical
- acute aspirin overdose
- situation: hysterical pt
(pt is breathing too fast and therefore removing CO2)
S/S of Respiratory Alkalosis:
lightheaded, faint, peri oral numbness and tingling in fingers and toes
Treatment of Respiratory Alkalosis:
- 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
Causes of Metabolic Acidosis:
- 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)
S/S of Metabolic Acidosis:
- depend on the cause
- hyperkalemia (muscle twitching, muscle weakness, flaccid paralysis, arrhythmias)
- increased respiratory rate
S/S of hyperkalemia:
muscle twitching, muscle weakness, flaccid paralysis, arrhythmias
Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis:
-treat the causes
Causes of Metabolic Alkalosis:
- loss of upper GI content
- too many antacids…too much BASE
S/S of Metabolic Alkalosis:
- 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
Treatment of Metabolic Alkalosis:
- fix the problem
- replace potassium
pH below 7.35
acidosis
pH above 7.45
alkalosis
PCO2 below 35
basic
PCO2 above 45
acidic
HCO3 below 22
acidic
HCO3 above 26
basic
