Acid-base status
- PH ↓
- Bicarbonate (HCO3-) current ↓
- Bicarbonate standard ↓
- Blood carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) – normal [decreased after partial compensation by hyperventilation [hypocapnia)].
- Base excess (base excess) ↓
BasenexcessThe negative base deviation marks an increased need for bases.
Other possible examinations
Other possible examinations
Acidoses and alkaloses | ||||||||
Acidosis | Alkalosis | |||||||
metabolic | respiratory | metabolic | respiratory | |||||
comp. | decomp. | comp. | decomp. | comp. | decomp. | comp. | decomp. | |
pH | normal | < 7,36 | normal | < 7,36 | normal | > 7,44 | normal | > 7,44 |
HCO3- | ↓ | ↓ | ↑ | normal to (↑) | ↑ | ↑ | ↓ | normal to (↓) |
pCO2 | ↓ | normal to (↓) | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | normal to (↑) | ↓ | ↓ |
pO2 | → | → | ↓ | ↓ | → | → | → | ↓ |
Legend
- Comp. (= compensated)
- Decomp. (= decompensated)
- ↓ (= decreased), ↑ (= increased), → (= unchanged).
Compensation
The body tries to compensate for the metabolic – metabolic disorder – acidosis respiratory, that is, by increasing breathing (hyperventilation). In particularly acute cases, this leads to so-called Kussmaul respiration. This increased breathing leads to increased exhalation of CO2 from the lungs, with a simultaneous increase in blood pH. However, this compensatory mechanism is limited, so that usually there is not a sufficient decrease in pH, bicarbonate, and pCO2.