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Respiratory & Anion Gap Acidosis

Chemical ions in the human body are controlled by hormones and organs. The normal pH of the body is around 7.4 with the exception of the gut during food digestion. When imbalance of ions occurs within the body, it can result in abnormal changes in the body pH. Specific organs such as the kidneys and the lungs compensate in order to correct the abnormality.

  1. Respiratory Acidosis

    • Respiratory acidosis refers to the body's pH being less than normal body pH. Respiratory acidosis is measured by physicians through blood gases. A blood gas profile will show high carbon dioxide, low pH, and high bicarbonate. Several conditions can cause this type of acidosis in the body, including diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and weakening of respiratory muscles. Ingestion of drugs such as morphine and codeine will also cause respiratory acidosis in the body.

    Anion Gap Acidosis

    • Anion gap acidosis is acidosis in the body created by the imbalance of ions such as sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate rather than carbon dioxide in respiratory acidosis. Anion gap acidosis is a type of metabolic acidosis and is measured by physicians via blood gas profile. The profile will show a low pH, low carbon dioxide, and low bicarbonate. Anion gap acidosis is caused by diabetic ketoacidosis, iron tablets overdose, ethanol, and salicylates.

    Compensation

    • Acidosis over time can be harmful to the body. Prolonged acidosis will eventually denature proteins in the body, which will affect the functions of many organs. The body will adapt to acidosis by compensation via the lungs or the kidneys. In the lungs, metabolic acidosis causes hyperventilation or fast breathing. In the kidneys, respiratory acidosis will cause the kidney to retain more bicarbonate in order to buffer the acid. Blood gases are regularly checked by physicians in the hospital to maintain the body's normal pH.

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