Metabolic acidosis: symptoms and treatment.

Acidosis is a kind of disturbance of acid-base balance in the body. The main manifestation is an absolute or relative excess of acids. Depending on the pH value, meaning the concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood, acidosis is divided into compensated and decompensated. It depends on the excess of acids and deficiencies in the work of physiological and physicochemical mechanisms of regulation.

Distinguish between respiratory and metabolic acidosis.

Respiratory acidosis occurs due to hypoventilation as a consequence of damage to the central nervous system, as well as due to neuromuscular diseases, pulmonary edema, pneumonia, pulmonary insufficiency.

Metabolic acidosis is manifested in a decrease in blood pH and a decrease in plasma bicarbonate due to bicarbonate loss or an increase in the content of other acids. Untimely initiated treatment of metabolic acidosis can lead to arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. The causes of metabolic acidosis are different. This is alcoholic ketoacidosis, diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, methanol poisoning , ethylene glycol, salicylates, kidney failure, diarrhea, the use of certain types of drugs, regular consumption of acidic foods.

If a patient has acidosis, the symptoms are very often difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of the underlying disease and are very similar to them, which is a big problem for the doctor in terms of diagnosis. Acidosis in a facilitated form, usually without symptoms. Sometimes this acidosis symptoms are expressed by slight nausea or vomiting, a slight fatigue. A severe form of metabolic acidosis is characterized by the appearance of hypernoea. When hypernoea first increases the depth of breathing, and then its frequency. With diabetic acidosis, the volume of EKZH (extracellular (extracellular) fluid) can decrease. The same happens when the bases of the digestive system are lost. In severe acidosis, there is sometimes a circulatory shock that occurs due to violations of myocardial contractility. A stunted, deafened or co-infected condition may occur .

At the slightest suspicion of the presence of acidosis, it is necessary to undergo an emergency examination. During the examination, the arterial blood is checked for gas composition, the urine is analyzed for pH and the serum electrolytes are analyzed. The carrying out of these studies is able to show the presence or absence of metabolic acidosis, to pinpoint the causes of its occurrence.

If acidosis is detected, treatment is usually performed in a complex: correct breathing, eliminate etiologic factor, electrolyte disorders, improve rheological properties of blood, normalize blood circulation, tissue oxidation processes, eliminate anemia and hypoproteinemia. To do this, first of all, alkaline solutions are used. With compensated acidosis, sodium hydrogencarbonate, nicotinic acid solution, cocarboxylase hydrochloride are used. For treatment of severe uncompensated acidosis, infusion alkalizing therapy is carried out with sodium bicarbonate in combination with trisamine.

During the application of drugs, it is necessary to monitor the parameters of acid-base balance and simultaneously determine the ionogram. This is done to avoid complications from the use of alkaline solutions.

Thus, metabolic acidosis is a rather complex and severe disease. His treatment is carried out under stationary conditions under the constant supervision of a doctor. Self-medication in this case is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to serious health problems. Not timely diagnosis - this is not the time started treatment.