Hyperchloremic acidosis
Encyclopedia
Hyperchloremic acidosis is a form of metabolic acidosis
associated with a normal anion gap
, a decrease in plasma bicarbonate
concentration, and in an increase in plasma chloride
concentration (see anion gap
for a fuller explanation).
Metabolic acidosis
In medicine, metabolic acidosis is a condition that occurs when the body produces too much acid or when the kidneys are not removing enough acid from the body. If unchecked, metabolic acidosis leads to acidemia, i.e., blood pH is low due to increased production of hydrogen by the body or the...
associated with a normal anion gap
Anion gap
The anion gap is the difference in the measured cations and the measured anions in serum, plasma, or urine. The magnitude of this difference in the serum is often calculated in medicine when attempting to identify the cause of metabolic acidosis...
, a decrease in plasma bicarbonate
Bicarbonate
In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid...
concentration, and in an increase in plasma chloride
Chloride
The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine, a halogen, picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. The chloride ion, and its salts such as sodium chloride, are very soluble in water...
concentration (see anion gap
Anion gap
The anion gap is the difference in the measured cations and the measured anions in serum, plasma, or urine. The magnitude of this difference in the serum is often calculated in medicine when attempting to identify the cause of metabolic acidosis...
for a fuller explanation).
Causes
- Renal tubular acidosisRenal tubular acidosisRenal tubular acidosis is a medical condition that involves an accumulation of acid in the body due to a failure of the kidneys to appropriately acidify the urine. When blood is filtered by the kidney, the filtrate passes through the tubules of the nephron, allowing for exchange of salts, acid...
failure of HCO3- resorption(i.e., proximal renal tubular acidosis) or failure of H+ secretion (ie in distal renal tubular acidosis) - Renal failureRenal failureRenal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
- Gastrointestinal loss of HCO3- with diarrheaDiarrheaDiarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
(vomiting will tend to cause hypochloraemic alkalosisAlkalosisAlkalosis refers to a condition reducing hydrogen ion concentration of arterial blood plasma . Generally, alkalosis is said to occur when pH of the blood exceeds 7.45. The opposite condition is acidosis .-Causes:...
). - Ingestions
- Ammonium chlorideAmmonium chlorideAmmonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
, Hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid.... - HyperalimentationHyperalimentationHyperalimentation refers to a state where quantities of food consumed are greater than appropriate. It includes overeating, as well as other routes of administration such as in parenteral nutrition....
fluids (i.e., total parenteral nutritionTotal parenteral nutritionParenteral nutrition is feeding a person intravenously, bypassing the usual process of eating and digestion. The person receives nutritional formulae that contain nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, lipids and added vitamins and dietary minerals...
)
- Ammonium chloride
- Alcohol (such as ethanol) can affect anion gap by inducing alcohol dehydrogenaseAlcohol dehydrogenaseAlcohol dehydrogenases are a group of dehydrogenase enzymes that occur in many organisms and facilitate the interconversion between alcohols and aldehydes or ketones with the reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide...
enzyme.