Use of the DeltaAG/DeltaHCO3- ratio in the diagnosis of mixed acid-base disorders.
When a strong acid is added to plasma, one expects a quantitative relationship between excess anion gap (DeltaAG) and bicarbonate deficit (DeltaHCO(3)(-)) with the DeltaAG/DeltaHCO(3)(-) ratio close to unity. If true, then this ratio could be used to diagnose mixed acid-base disorders in patients with metabolic acidosis. Although the mean ratio in selected patients is close to unity, this ratio also has a wide range, making its use in individual patients problematic. The ratio should therefore be used cautiously in making a diagnosis of mixed acid-base disorders.
Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. asghar.rastegar@yale.edu
Asghar
A
Rastegar
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000138:Acidosis / Q000150:complications*; D000143:Acids; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans
D000143:Acids; D001639:Bicarbonates