A patient develops severe diarrhea. She has the following arterial blood values: pH 7.21 (normal 7.24-7.45), pCO2 23 mmHg (normal 35-45), and [HCO3-] 11 mEq/L (normal 22-28). Why is she experiencing metabolic acidosis?
Diarrhea is an increased frequency of bowel movements more than
3 times per day with altered consistency(i.e, increased
liquidity)of stool. It can be associated with urgency, perianal
discomfort, incontinence, or a combination of these factors. There
are three types, acute diarrhea, persistent diarrhea, chronic
diarrhea.
Here the clent having metabolic acidosis, the arterial blood values
shows [pH7.21, pCO2 23 mmHg,HCO3- 11mEq/L] respectively. Metabolic
acidosis occurs when an acid other than carbonic acid accumulates
in the body or when bicarbonate is lost from body fluids. In severe
diarrhea results in severe loss of bicarbonate, that leads to
metabolic acidosis. In present case HCO3 is 11mEq/L which shows the
severe loss of bicarbonate because of severe diarrhea.
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