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Metabolic alkalosis is an acid-base disorder in which the pH of tissue is elevated beyond the normal range (7.35–7.45). This is the result of decreased hydrogen ion concentration, leading to increased bicarbonate ( HCO − 3 ), or alternatively a direct result of increased bicarbonate concentrations.
Alkalosis is the result of a process reducing hydrogen ion concentration of arterial blood plasma (alkalemia).In contrast to acidemia (serum pH 7.35 or lower), alkalemia occurs when the serum pH is higher than normal (7.45 or higher).
These are characterized by a serum pH below 7.4 (acidosis) or above 7.4 (alkalosis), and whether the cause is from a metabolic process or respiratory process. If the body experiences one of these derangements, the body will try to compensate by inducing an opposite process (e.g. induced respiratory alkalosis for a primary metabolic acidosis). [7]
The use of acidosis for a low pH creates an ambiguity in its meaning. The difference is important where a patient has factors causing both acidosis and alkalosis, wherein the relative severity of both determines whether the result is a high, low, or normal pH. [citation needed] Alkalemia occurs at a pH over 7.45.
Metabolic acidosis can lead to acidemia, which is defined as arterial blood pH that is lower than 7.35. [6] Acidemia and acidosis are not mutually exclusive – pH and hydrogen ion concentrations also depend on the coexistence of other acid-base disorders; therefore, pH levels in people with metabolic acidosis can range from low to high.
When this happens the numerator is large, the denominator is small, and the result is a delta ratio which is high (>2). This means a combined high anion gap metabolic acidosis and a pre-existing either respiratory acidosis or metabolic alkalosis (causing the high bicarbonate) – i.e. a mixed acid–base metabolic acidosis. [citation needed]
Diagnosis of contraction alkalosis is made by correlating laboratory data with clinical history and examination. Metabolic alkalosis in the presence of decreased effective circulatory volume, loop diuretic use, or other causes of intravascular depletion such as profound diarrhea should raise suspicion for contraction alkalosis as a likely etiology in the absence of other causes.
Similarly, an alkalosis would cause an alkalemia on its own. [24] In medical terminology, the terms acidosis and alkalosis should always be qualified by an adjective to indicate the etiology of the disturbance: respiratory (indicating a change in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide), [25] or metabolic (indicating a change in the Base Excess ...