Resp. acidosis/alkalosis VS. Meta. acidosis/alkalosis! please help me understand!

decartes · Aug 9, 2006

Check out the web tutorials that were posted. They really helped me. ALso, know your normal values.

allthingsbright · Aug 9, 2006

Hey, have you tried Fluid and Electrolytes Made Incredibly Easy (the book). I have heard it is a great resource for this subject...

It confuses me too! GL!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Aug 9, 2006

Do a search on our site. Many, many threads with excellent explanations or links posted. Here is a sample:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/fluids-electrolytes-helpful-websites-144155.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/abg-tutorial-students-nurses-132117.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/acidious-vs-alkalosis-forgive-spelling-25018.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/abg-troubles-51334.html

Best wishes to you :)

Dratz · Aug 9, 2006

I have yet to learn this stuff on alkalosis/acidosis in school but found this mnuemonic helpful from doing a search on the message boards. When all else fails for me I lean towards mneumonics for easy recall during exams.

ROME:

Respiratory= Opposite:

- pH is high, PCO2 is down (Alkalosis).

- pH is low, PCO2 is up (Acidosis).

Metabolic= Equal:

- pH is high, HCO3 is high (Alkalosis).

- pH is low, HCO3 is low (Acidosis).

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2006

you have to go over and over and over this stuff until it sinks in. take breaks. it's not all that easy. you are not dumb, it's just a bit complex. check out the links of old threads that vickyrn gave you, they are good ones. here's a few more links that weren't in any of those older threads.

http://www.acid-base.com/ - the home page of an interactive acid-base tutorial for medical students by professor alan grogono at tulane university, but there are things in it that are useful for nursing students. click on buttons throughout the presentation for more specific information. you might want to click on the "alphabetical index" at the left side to get a listing of the subjects covered on this site to save time. also, check out the "links" for more acid-base tutorial sites.

http://flightline.highline.edu/drydberg/acid_base_imbalance.htm - a one page chart showing compensated and uncompensated metabolic and respiratory acidosis and alkalosis

http://maagnursing.com/abg/ - this is an abg and acid/base balance tutorial. you do not have to register to go through the tutorial and you can chose the topics you want to go in to.

http://www.rnceus.com/course_frame.asp?exam_id=18&directory=abgs - interpretation of abgs, a ceu offering with good information about abgs and acid/base balance

boyfactory · Aug 18, 2006

ROME:
Respiratory= Opposite:
- pH is high, PCO2 is down (Alkalosis).
- pH is low, PCO2 is up (Acidosis).
Metabolic= Equal:
- pH is high, HCO3 is high (Alkalosis).
- pH is low, HCO3 is low (Acidosis).

That is the best information I found as well. There was a tic-tac-toe thing they wanted us to use at school, but I didn't like it. I knew the above way and it worked well for me.

I also second the Fluid and Electrolytes Made Easy book recommendation.

Jennifer D.

Bala Shark · Aug 18, 2006

Saunder, NCLEX did a good job in describing it

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 18, 2006

What if you have a partial or complete compensation? That's why I don't like the arrows or the ROME technique.

We learned it by the numbers.

pH 7.30 acid

HCO3 (metabolic component) 24 normal

pCO2(resp component) 55 acid

So this is a resp acidosis. Because the resp component is high and the pH is acid.

Dabuggy · Aug 19, 2006

I think you also need to know what causes this.

Correct me if I'm wrong: Metabolic Alkalosis is caused from vomiting. The stomach loses it store of acid sending the system into Met Alk.

Metabolic Acidosis is from Diarrhea. The system losing to many buffers

Resp Alkalosis is from hyperventilating (Loss of CO2)

Resp Acidosis is from hypoventilating (Loss of O2)

Dabuggy

RTreformed · Aug 19, 2006

I think you also need to know what causes this.
Correct me if I'm wrong: Metabolic Alkalosis is caused from vomiting. The stomach loses it store of acid sending the system into Met Alk.
Metabolic Acidosis is from Diarrhea. The system losing to many buffers
Resp Alkalosis is from hyperventilating (Loss of CO2)
Resp Acidosis is from hypoventilating (Loss of O2)
Dabuggy

resp. alkalosis is basically caused by hyperventiation, whether spontaneously, or mechanically. the problem you can run into, really low CO2 levels can cause vasospasm, which is why it isnt advised to use hypocarbia as a method to control ICP. also, if CO2 is low enough for an extended period of time, the body begins to "dump" HCO3, in an effort to compensate, so inevitably, you will run into having to try to correct 2 systems instead of one.

resp acidosis, has nothing to do with oxygen, although PO2 can be affected by acidosis. resp acidosis is caused by hypercarbia, bodies inability to regulate CO2. when your CO2 increased, your pH drops, which actually can cause lower PO2 levels, the more acidic the body, the less affinity hemiglobin has for oxygen(see the oxyhemiglobin dissociation curve) i have actually seen MD's and RNs try to fix resp acidosis by giving HCO3 in an effort to compensate, unfortunately, they dont realize that eventually, HCO3 breaksdown into CO2, thus causing your resp. acidosis to worsen.

Dabuggy · Aug 19, 2006

Thank you for that input and correcting me. I need to write that down Cuz I just know in patho that question is going to come up.

Is there any way to print just one or two threads by themselves? When I try to print a thread, lets say for a link to breath sounds, I get half the thread and the adds to the right. Any sugestions?

Thank you

Dabuggy