How to Understand Metabolic Acidosis

The pH of the blood in the human body is normally maintained between 7.35 and 7.45. Acidosis is essentially a condition in which the blood is more acidic than this range. Metabolic acidosis occurs when the acidosis has a metabolic cause as opposed to acidosis with a respiratory cause. Metabolic acidosis is a common condition with many symptoms and causes.

Instructions

1. Observe the signs of metabolic acidosis. The physical signs of metabolic acidosis can be highly variable but most often include chest pains, headaches, palpitations, nausea and vomiting. It can also cause behavioral changes such as severe anxiety. These signs have many possible causes and aren't usually sufficient to make a diagnosis.

2. Examine the complications of metabolic acidosis. The neurological signs of severe metabolic acidosis include stupor, seizures and coma. The cardiac signs of severe metabolic acidosis include problems with maintaining a normal heart rhythm and a reduced ability to respond to epinephrine.

3. Study the diagnosis of metabolic acidosis. A doctor will usually base a diagnosis of metabolic acidosis on an arterial blood sample with a pH below 7.35 and a bicarbonate level below 24 millimoles per liter (mmol/l).

4. Observe the causes of metabolic acidosis. This condition is frequently caused by an excess of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis) and an excess of ketones in the blood (ketoacidosis.) Other common causes of metabolic acidosis include chronic kidney failure and poisoning from substances such as alcohol formaldehyde and ethylene glycol.

5. Look at the treatments for metabolic acidosis. Mild acidosis may not require any treatment but a blood pH below 7.1 is usually a medical emergency. This typically consists of administering bicarbonate in 50 to 100 mmol doses.

References

• Blood Acid-Base Tutorial
• Merck