[Acid-base equilibrium in anesthesiology and operative intensive care medicine. Physiology, pathophysiology and clinical aspects of alkalosis and mixed disorders]

Abstract

This review details basic and clinical aspects of metabolic and respiratory alkalosis and mixed acid-base disturbances. New experimental results show that NH4Cl and arginine-HCl should no longer be used in antialkalotic therapy because they increase intracellular pH and have no effect on intracellular bicarbonate concentration. Appropriate HCl solutions should be employed in severe metabolic alkalosis because they reduce pH and the bicarbonate concentrations in both body compartments.