OBJECTIVE Cerebral oedema is a potentially devastating complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The relationship between osmolar changes, acid-base changes and development of cerebral oedema during therapy is unclear. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study on 53 children with severe DKA (mean pH at presentation 6.92±0.08). Cerebral oedema was diagnosed using neurological status, response to os...

acid–base balance describes the complex processes that work to maintain a stable extracellular pH for optimal cellular function. the process of balancing the production and neutralization of tissue acid provides a great challenge for newborn infants who have significantly higher rates of acid production than adults. Factors which help maintain a stable acid–base balance include buffers, the res...

This overview paper summarizes the current status of the Lewis acid-base or generalized donor-acceptor concepts and their application to solubility theory and related problems in the fields of surface and colloid chemistry. Simple second-order perturbation theory is then used to evaluate the pros and cons of various empirical treatments or Lewis acid-base strengths currently found in the litera...

The tutorial homepage offers a colourful, box-structured table of contents made up of 21 main links covering topics such as the physiology of acid–base disorders, the interpretation of blood gases, respiratory and metabolic treatments, and also includes a direct e-mail link to the author. There is a ‘Terminology’ link that provides detailed definitions and descriptions of 22 common terms, ‘Inde...

Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) is a valid anticoagulation method in continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) and different combination of citrate and CRRT solutions can affect acid-base balance. Regardless of the anticoagulation protocol, hypophosphatemia occurs frequently in CRRT. In this case report, we evaluated safety and effects on acid-base balance of a new RCA- continuous ve...

an increase in the number of poisonings occurring in the province or from an increase in the number of enquiries with no change in the number of poisonings. (ii) there was an increase in 1976 in the number of prescriptions dispensed and therefore an increase in the number of drugs consumed. (iii) the increase in enquiries about poisoning in children, if it reflects an increase in actual poisoni...

The accurate interpretation of laboratory tests in patients with acid-base disorders is critical for understanding pathophysiology, making a diagnosis, planning effective treatment and monitoring progress. This is an important topic particularly for junior medical staff who may encounter acidbase problems outside normal working hours when patients become acutely unwell. These clinical situation...

Diagnosis and management of acid-base disorders ranks high among the medical problems that intimidate many physicians. In practice, acid-base disorders can be approached very systematically as they can be easily diagnosed when certain rules are applied. Using a four step process including, 1) determination the serum pH, 2) calculation of the serum anion gap, 3) estimating the degree of compensa...

Chemical Buffering Extracellular buffers, including plasma proteins, phosphates, and bicarbonate, are the earliest defense against acidosis. The most prominent extracellular buffer is bicarbonate, which is highly abundant and acts as a dynamic buffer by independently regulating Pco2 through changes in alveolar ventilation. This feature increases buffering capacity by more than 10-fold. Bufferin...