Information about Metabolic Alkalosis

Classification & external resources

Davenport diagram
ICD-10	E87.3
ICD-9	276.3
DiseasesDB	402
eMedicine	med/1459

Metabolic alkalosis results from altered metabolism. It is the most common acid-base disorder seen in hospital in the United States.

Is a result of decreased hydrogen ion concentration leading to increased bicarbonate and carbon dioxide concentrations, or alternatively a direct result of increased bicarbonate concentrations.

Causes

There are four mechanisms of metabolic alkylosis^[1]:

1. Loss of hydrogen ions Most often occurs via two mechanisms, either vomiting or renally. Vomiting results in the excretion hydrogen ions and the retention of bicarbonate. Renal losses of hydrogen occur when excess aldosterone induces the retention of sodium and hence the excretion of hydrogen.

2. Shift of hydrogen ions into intracellular space. Seen in hypokalemia. Due to a low extracellular potassium concentration, potassium shifts out of the cells, and in order to maintain electrical neutrality, hydrogen shifts into the cells, leaving behind bicarbonate.

3. Alkalotic agents Alkalotic agents, such as bicarbonate, administered in excess of excretion capabilities by the kidney can lead to an alkylosis.

4. Contraction alkalosis This results from a loss of water in the extracellular space which is poor in bicarbonate, typically from diuretic use. Since water is lost while bicarbonate is retained, the concentration of bicarbonate increases.

(See also loop diuretics and hyperaldosteronism.)

Compensation

The body attempts to compensate for the increase in pH by retaining carbon dioxide (CO₂) through hypoventilation (respiratory compensation). CO₂ combines with elements in the bloodstream to form carbonic acid, thus decreasing pH.

Renal compensation for metabolic alkalosis consists of increased excretion of HCO₃^- (bicarbonate), because the filtered load of HCO₃^- exceeds the ability of the renal tubule to reabsorb it.

See also

• hypokalemia

References

External links

• REN7 at FPnotebook

•  • [ e] Metabolic pathology (, )
Amino acid	Aromatic (Phenylketonuria, Alkaptonuria, Ochronosis, Tyrosinemia, Albinism, Histidinemia) - Branched chain (Maple syrup urine disease, Propionic acidemia, Methylmalonic acidemia, Isovaleric acidemia, 3-Methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency) - Transport (Cystinuria, Cystinosis, Hartnup disease, Fanconi syndrome) - Sulfur (Homocystinuria, Cystathioninuria) - Urea cycle disorder (N-Acetylglutamate synthase deficiency, Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency, Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, Citrullinemia, Argininosuccinic aciduria, Hyperammonemia) - Glutaric acidemia type 1 - Sarcosinemia
Carbohydrate	Lactose intolerance - Glycogen storage disease (type I, type II, type III, type IV, type V, type VI, type VII) - fructose metabolism (Fructose intolerance, Fructose bisphosphatase deficiency, Essential fructosuria) - galactose metabolism (Galactosemia, Galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase galactosemia, Galactokinase deficiency) - other intestinal carbohydrate absorption (Glucose-galactose malabsorption, Sucrose intolerance) - pyruvate metabolism and gluconeogenesis (PCD, PDHA) - Pentosuria - Renal glycosuria
Lipid storage	Sphingolipidoses/Gangliosidoses: GM2 gangliosidoses (Sandhoff disease, Tay-Sachs disease) - GM1 gangliosidoses - Mucolipidosis type IV - Gaucher's disease - Niemann-Pick disease - Farber disease - Fabry's disease - Metachromatic leukodystrophy - Krabbe disease Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease) - Cerebrotendineous xanthomatosis - Cholesteryl ester storage disease (Wolman disease)
Other lipid	Lipoprotein/lipidemias: Hyperlipidemia - Hypercholesterolemia - Familial hypercholesterolemia - Xanthoma - Combined hyperlipidemia - Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency - Tangier disease - Abetalipoproteinemia Fatty acid: Adrenoleukodystrophy - Carnitine (Primary, I, II)
Mineral	Cu Wilson's disease/Menkes disease - Fe Haemochromatosis - Zn Acrodermatitis enteropathica - PO43− Hypophosphatemia/Hypophosphatasia - Mg2+ Hypermagnesemia/Hypomagnesemia - Ca2+ Hypercalcaemia/Hypocalcaemia/Disorders of calcium metabolism
Fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance	Electrolyte disturbance - Na+ Hypernatremia/Hyponatremia - Acidosis (Metabolic, Respiratory, Lactic) - Alkalosis (Metabolic, Respiratory) - Mixed disorder of acid-base balance - H2O Dehydration/Hypervolemia - K+ Hypokalemia/Hyperkalemia - Cl− Hyperchloremia/Hypochloremia
Purine and pyrimidine	Hyperuricemia - Lesch-Nyhan syndrome - Xanthinuria
Porphyrin	Acute intermittent, Gunther's, Cutanea tarda, Erythropoietic, Hepatoerythropoietic, Hereditary copro-, Variegate
Bilirubin	Unconjugated (Gilbert's syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome) - Conjugated (Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor syndrome)
Glycosaminoglycan	Mucopolysaccharidosis - 1:Hurler/Hunter - 3:Sanfilippo - 4:Morquio - 6:Maroteaux-Lamy - 7:Sly
Glycoprotein	Mucolipidosis - I-cell disease - Pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy - Aspartylglucosaminuria - Fucosidosis - Alpha-mannosidosis - Sialidosis
Other	Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency - Cystic fibrosis - Amyloidosis (Familial Mediterranean fever) - Acatalasia