Synonyms
Acidemia
Definition and Characteristics
Acidemia is defined by a reduced blood pH, which reflects increased hydrogen ion concentration [H+], whereas acidosis is used to describe the processes leading to acidemia either of metabolic or respiratory origin. Normally, blood [H+] is ≈40 nmols/L, corresponding to an arterial blood pH of 7.35–7.45. Blood arterial pCO2 is maintained between 36 and 40 mmHg and blood [HCO3 −] between 24 and 26 mEq/L.
Metabolic acidosis (MA) is an acid/base disorder caused by a primary decrease in plasma [HCO3 −]. Both types of acidosis lead to acidemia despite compensatory responses which attenuate it. Compensatory responses for MA include: (i) extracellular and intracellular buffering, (ii) increased ventilation (blood pCO2 decreases by ≈1.2 mmHg per each 1.0 mEq decrease in plasma [HCO3 −] to a nadir of 12–15 mmHg in 12–24 h), and (iii) increased renal acid excretion [1].
Prevalence
It is very common, particularly among acutely unwell/critical care...
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References
Batlle D, Shah M (2007) Physiologic principles in the clinical evaluation of electrolyte, water, and acid-base, disorders. In: Alpern RJ, Hebert SE (eds) The kidney: physiology and pathophysiology. Elsevier, USA 2113–2141
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Ariceta, G., Batlle, D. (2009). Acidosis, Metabolic. In: Lang, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29676-8_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29676-8_16
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