Question

Acid Base Imbalances:
1. Explain Respiratory Acidosis
2. Explain Respiratory Alkalosis
3. Explain Metabolic Acidosis
4. Explain Metabolic Alkalosis

Answer 1

All the above respiratory acidosis and alkalosis and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis are the imbalance of the acid and bases in the body that is deviant from the normal range .

1 .Respiratory Acidosis :

This is a medical emergency condition in which the hypoventilation occurs due to low pH.

In respiratory Acidosis ,the lungs doesn't have the capacity to eliminate the carbon-dioxide and the accumulation of the CO2 leads to increase paco2 and decrease in the pH of the blood and other body fluids causing respiratory Acidosis or respiratory failure.

The cause of respiratory acidosis is Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

2.Respiratory Alkalosis :

This is common medical condition in which hyperventilation occurs due to increased pH in the blood and body fluids .

If the person breaths too fast , the loss of carbon-dioxide is more leads to increase in pH just opposite to Acidosis which leads to decrease in arterial co2.

This is called as Respiratory Alkalosis.

This is usually found in liver disease , anxiety and common in pregnancy also.

3.Metabolic acidosis:

Metabolic acidosis is a abnormal clinical condition in which formation of excessive amounts of acid and the kidneys does not have the capacity to remove the acid. This is mainly due to loss of bicarbonates from gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.

So the pH is reduced and the body fluids does not have enough bicarbonates to remove the acids .

The main cause of metabolic acidosis are Diabetic ketoacidosis ,lactic Acidosis ,ingestion of acids and certain toxins.

4 Metabolic alkalosis :

Metabolic alkalosis is a clinical condition in which the body fluids become more alkaline.

In this condition there in increase production of bicarbonates with or without compensating the carbon-dioxide leads to increase in pH beyond the normal range .

This is mainly due to excessive vomiting , dehydration ,some endocrine disorders, ingestion of high antacids and high alkaline drugs.