Evaluation and treatment of respiratory alkalosis.

Respiratory alkalosis is the most frequent acid-base disturbance encountered in clinical practice. This is particularly true in critically ill patients, for whom the degree of hypocapnia directly correlates with adverse outcomes. Although this acid-base disturbance often is considered benign, evidence suggests that the alkalemia of primary hypocapnia can cause clinically significant decreases in tissue oxygen delivery. Mild respiratory alkalosis often serves as a marker of an underlying disease and may not require therapeutic intervention. In contrast, severe respiratory alkalosis should be approached with a sense of urgency and be aggressively corrected. Copyright © 2012 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Biff F Palmer. Evaluation and treatment of respiratory alkalosis. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation. 2012 Nov;60(5):834-8

Mesh Tags

PMID: 22871240

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