Acid-base Balance3 Flashcards
Acid-base Imbalance
mention two classifications of acid-base disturbances
- Metabolic acidosis/alkalosis
- Respiratory acidosis/alkalosis
What is metabolic acidosis readily detected by a decrease in what?
By a decrease in plasma bicarbonate levels.
What causes decrease in plasma bicarbonate
- production of organic acids that exceeds the rate of elimination
- Reduced excretion of acids (H+) as occurs in renal failure
- Excessive loss of bicarbonate due to increased renal excretion
What primarily causes metabolic acidosis?
- Production of organic acids (such as in ketoacidosis) that exceeds the rate of elimination.
- Reduced excretion of acids (H⁺), which occurs in conditions like renal failure and some renal tubular acidosis (RTAs).
- Excessive loss of bicarbonate, either due to increased renal excretion or excessive loss from the duodenum.
What does ketoacidosis refer to?
Ketoacidosis refers to the production of organic acids (such as ketone bodies) that exceeds the rate at which they are eliminated.
How does reduced excretion of acids lead to metabolic acidosis?
Reduced excretion of acids (H⁺) in conditions like renal failure and RTAs results in an accumulation of acid that consumes bicarbonate, leading to metabolic acidosis.
What can cause an excessive loss of bicarbonate
- Increased renal excretion
2.Excessive loss from the duodenum (part of the small intestine).
What physiological response is stimulated by the resulting drop in pH due to metabolic acidosis?
Stimulates respiratory compensation via hyperventilation. This process lowers the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO₂) and raises the pH.
How can metabolic acidosis be categorized?
- Increased anion gap acidosis (organic acidosis)
- Normal anion gap acidosis (inorganic acidosis)
What are some causes of increased anion gap metabolic acidosis?
- Methanol poisoning
- Uremia of renal failure
- Ketoacidosis
- Paraldehyde toxicity
- Lactic acidosis
- Salicylate intoxication
what causes normal anion gap metabolic acidosis
It is caused by the loss of bicarbonate rich fluid from the kidney or GIT
what happens when bicarbonate is lost
More cl- ions are absorbed with Na + or k+
normal acid gap acidosis can be divided into 2. namely?
- Hypokalemic normokalemic
- Hyperkalemic acidoses
What causes normal anion gap metabolic acidosis
Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis is caused by the loss of bicarbonate-rich fluid from the kidney or the gastrointestinal tract.
How can normal anion gap acidosis be divided
Normal anion gap acidosis can be divided into hypokalemic, normokalemic, and hyperkalemic acidoses.