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following questions: 1)How does each of the following problems lead to acid-base

ID: 3483724 • Letter: F

Question

following questions: 1)How does each of the following problems lead to acid-base imbalances? Be as descriptive in your explanations as necessary. A. Emphysema B. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C. Renal failure D. Alcoholism E. Excessive antacid ingestion F. Unmanaged diabetes (leading to ketoacidosis) G. Vomiting, especially excessive vomiting Study the Davenport nomogram (below) that can rapidly demonstrate acid-base imbalances from a blood test based upon the pH, PCO2, and HCO3. Note that there are three axes.

Explanation / Answer

A. In emphysema alveolar walls disintegrate over time, producing large air spaces that remain filled with gases during expiration
-This condition reduces the surface area in the lung available for exchange of O2 and CO2
-As a result of this process, CO2 becomes trapped in the alveoli and plasma levels of CO2 rise.

B. The acid-base disturbance that commonly occurs in advanced COPD is respiratory acidosis. An important distinction is made between acute and chronic respiratory acidosis; compensation is less effective in the former. Respiratory acidosis is usually caused by a lung disease or condition that affects normal breathing or impairs the lungs ability to remove CO2. Some common causes of the chronic form are: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

C. Renal failure patients have an altered acid-base balance; most commonly, a mixed type of metabolic acidosis(hyperchloraemic, and of a high anion gap) is observed. If the renal damage affects both glomeruli and tubules, the acidosis is a high-anion gap acidosis. It is due to failure of adequate excretion of various acid anions due to the greatly reduced number of functioning nephrons.

D. Alcoholic patients commonly develop a variety of acid-base and electrolyte disturbances. Chronic alcoholics had lower serum potassium than had non-alcoholics; 3.6% (n = 7) of the patients had to be intubated. Acid-base disturbances were frequent in adults with alcohol intoxication.

E. Acid reflux is caused when acid gets into your esophagus, and even a small amount will cause pain and discomfort. Taking an antacid in this case will cut the pain, but it will also insure that partially digested food gets into your intestinal tract and cause a host of problems: you don’t get the nutrition you need, the digestive system is overburdened, and your immune system suffers.

F. The diabetics may suffer from acid-base and electrolyte disorders due to complications of diabetes mellitus and the medication they receive.

G. Severe vomiting also causes loss of potassium (hypokalaemia) and sodium (hyponatremia). The kidneys compensate for these losses by retaining sodium in the collecting ducts at the expense of hydrogen ions (sparing sodium/potassium pumps to prevent further loss of potassium), leading to metabolic alkalosis.

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