Acidosis Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Acidosis and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| pH Value Due to the wide range in urine pH values in healthy individuals, pH results must be evaluated in conjunction with the patient's medical condition. Factors to be considered include: respiratory or metabolic acidosis respiratory or metabolic alkalosis renal function crystal or calculi formation urinary tract status diet | View Page |
| Acid and alkaline urine pH Reasons for acidic urine pH include: a high-meat diet, respiratory/metabolic acidosis, and hypochloridemia. A urine with a high concentration of glucose may also have a lower pH. An alkaline pH may be the result of a vegetarian diet, respiratory/metabolic alkalosis, or a bacterial infection caused by urease-producing bacteria. Urine that contains bacteria can become more alkaline if the specimen remains at room temperature for an extended period of time. | View Page |
| Clinical Significance of Positive Urine Ketone Result Ketone bodies are usually absent in urine. High levels of ketones are present in the urine of individuals with uncontrolled diabetes. In diabetes the ketones are present because the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates is defective. Detecting the presence of ketones in the urine is a valuable aid to managing and monitoring individuals with diabetes mellitus. Ketonuria is an indication that the insulin dose needs to be increased. It is also an early indicator of insulin dosage problems in juvenile diabetes or in diabetics experiencing other medical problems. Electrolyte imbalance and dehydration occur when ketones accumulate in the blood. If these conditions are not corrected, the patient may develop acidosis and ultimately diabetic coma. Low levels may be detected during conditions of physiological stress such as fasting, rapid weight loss, frequent strenuous exercise or prolonged vomiting. The presence of ketones in these situations is due to either inadequate intake or increased loss of carbohydrates. | View Page |
| Significantly increased levels of ketones are detected in the urine with which of the following conditions? (Choose ALL of the correct answers) | View Page |
| Metabolic acidosis is characterized by: | View Page |
| Respiratory acidosis is associated with: | View Page |
| What condition is indicated by the following blood gas results:
Bicarbonate = 32 mEq/L
pCO2 = 65 mm Hg
pH = 7.28 | View Page |
| Causes of Ketonuria Under conditions of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism such as occurs in diabetes mellitus, ketones accumulate in the blood (ketonemia) and are excreted in the urine (ketonuria). The accumulation of ketone bodies is often the cause of acidosis and coma in diabetics. | View Page |
| Correlation of Urine Glucose and Ketones It is important to test for urinary (and plasma or serum) ketones when any patient shows a greater than normal excretion of sugar or reducing substances. Screening for ketonuria is useful in following the effects of treatment for diabetes and in judging the severity of acidosis. Large amounts of ketones will appear in the urine before serum ketone levels are elevated. | View Page |
| Other Causes of Ketonuria Ketonuria can also be found in conditions associated with a decreased intake of carbohydrates (starvation), digestive disturbances, dietary imbalance (high fat/low carbohydrate diet), eclampsia, prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, glycogen storage diseases, vigorous exercise, fever, and following administration of anesthesia. Ketone bodies are mildly toxic to the body, tending to interfere with the excretion of uric acid, produce mild depression of the central nervous system, and cause acidosis. | View Page |