Acid – Base Balances and Common Electrolyte Disorders – PST04103 Human Anatomy and Physiology

NTA Level 4 • Semester 1 • PST04103

Acid – Base Balances and Common Electrolyte Disorders

Human Anatomy and Physiology • Source Session/Topic 21
Full source-text version: all educational wording from the extracted learning source is retained; only presenter/tutor metadata and web-layout noise are removed, while formatting is improved for readability.

Session 21: Acid – Base Balances and Common Electrolyte Disorders

Total Session Time: 120 minutes

Prerequisites

• None

Learning Tasks

By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:

• Define Acidity ,Alkalinity and pH
• Describe Acid Base Balance
• Describe Acidosis and Alkalosis
• Describe Electrolyte Disorders
• Describe Oedema and Ascites

Resources Needed:

• Flip charts, marker pens, and masking tape
• Flip charts, marker pens, and masking tape
• Black/white board, chalk and whiteboard markers
• Overhead Projector and Transparencies or Slide Projector/LCD and

Computer

• Hand out 17.1:Oedema and Ascites

SESSION OVERVIEW

|Step |Time |Activity/ |Content |

| | |Method | |

|1 |05 minutes |Presentation |Introduction, Learning Tasks |

|2 |25 minutes |Presentation | Acid, Base and Acid Base Balance |

| | |Brainstorming | |

|3 |15 minutes |Presentation |Acidosis and Alkalosis |

|4 |50 minutes |Presentation |Common Electrolyte Disorders |

| | |Small Group | |

|5 |15 minutes |Presentation |Oedema and Ascites |

|6 |05 minutes |Presentation |Key Points |

| 7 |05 minutes |Presentation |Evaluation |

SESSION CONTENTS

STEP 1: Presentation of Session Title and Learning Tasks (5 minutes)

READ or ASK students to read the learning tasks and clarify

ASK students if they have any questions before continuing

STEP 2: Acid Base Balance (25 minutes)

|Activity: Brainstorming (5 minutes) |

| |

|Ask students to brainstorm on the following questions: |

| |

|What is acidity? |

|What is alkalinity? |

|What is pH? |

| |

|ALLOW few students to respond |

| |

|WRITE their responses on the flip chart/ board |

| |

|CLARIFY and SUMMARISE by using the content below |

• Acidity is the term which expresses the concentration of Hydrogen ion

(H+) of any substance in aqueous solution or the body fluids.

• Alkalinity is the term used to express the concentration of Hydroxyl

ions (OH-) or the salinity of any substance in aqueous solution or the

body fluids.

• pH is the scale used to determine the acidity or the alkalinity of the

body fluids

• The higher the pH the less the acid the substance is and lower the pH

the more the acid the substance is.

The Body pH

• Optimum pH is maintained by keeping the balance between acids and

bases produced by the body cells.

• There is an inbuilt mechanism which ensures that excess acid or alkali

is safely eliminated from the body, better known as the buffer system.

• The organs most active in this activity are the lungs and the kidneys.
• In order to maintain normal blood pH the cells of the proximal

convoluted tubules secret hydrogen ions. In the filtrate hydrogen ions

combine with buffers

o Bicarbonate forming carbonic acid

o Ammonia forming ammonium ions

o Hydrogen phosphate forming dihydrogen phosphate

• Carbonic acid is converted to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O),

carbon dioxide is reabsorbed, maintaining the buffering capacity of

the blood.

• Hydrogen ions are lost through urine as ammonium salts and hydrogen

sulphate.

• Other buffer systems include body proteins and phosphates which absorb

excess hydrogen ions (H+).

• The lungs regulate the blood pH by either increasing or decreasing the

amount of carbon dioxide lost (increased or decreased respiration).

• Carbon dioxide combine with water to form carbonic acid, which

eventually dissociates to bicarbonates and hydrogen ions thus lowering

the body pH.

• Therefore any condition which retains carbon dioxide in the body will

increase the blood acidy and vice versa.

• Kidneys regulate blood pH by controlling the amount of hydrogen ion

lost through urine.

• The normal blood pH ranges from 7. 35 to 7.45.

STEP 3: Acidosis and Alkalosis (15 minutes)

• The buffer systems described above compensate for most of pH

fluctuations, but these reserves are limited and in extreme cases, can

become exhausted

• When the blood pH falls below 7.35 and all the reserves of alkaline

buffers are consumed, the condition of acidosis exists

• In the opposite manner when the pH rises above 7.45, the increased

alkali uses up all the acid reserve and the state of alkalosis ensues

• Acidosis and alkalosis are both injurious to the body, particularly to

the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. In practice acidotic

states are more common than alkalotic ones, because the body tends to

produce more acid than alkali

• Acidosis may follow respiratory problems, if lungs are not excreting

CO2 as efficiently as normal, or if the body is producing excess acid

as in diabetic ketoacidosis or in renal diseases when kidneys are not

excreting H+ as normal

• Alkalosis may be caused by loss of basic substances as in vomiting or

diarrhoea, and rarely through hyperventilation (excess CO2 loss)

STEP 4: Electrolyte Disorders (50 minutes)

|Activity: Small Group Discussion ( 30 minutes) |

| |

|DIVIDE students into small manageable groups |

| |

|ASK students to discuss on the following question |

| |

|What are the common electrolyte disorders? |

| |

|ALLOW students to discuss for 15 minutes |

| |

|ALLOW few groups to present and the rest to add points not mentioned |

| |

|CLARIFY and SUMMARIZE by using the contents below |

An electrolyte disorder is an imbalance of certain ionized salts( which

include bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium

, and sodium) in the blood

Sodium

• Hypernatremia refers to a high sodium concentration in the blood than

normal.

Hypernatremia can be caused by inadequate water intake, excessive fluid

loss kidneydisease, severe burns, and prolonged vomiting or diarrhea),

or sodium retention (caused by excessive sodium intake oraldosteronism

).

• Hyponatremia refers to low sodium concentration in the blood.

Low sodiumlevels may also be triggered by inadequate dietary intake of s

odium, excessive perspiration, water intoxication, and impairment of ad

renal gland or kidney function.

Potassium

• Hyperkalaemia refers to high potassium level in the blood than normal.

Hyperkalemia may be caused by ketoacidosis (diabetic coma), myocardial

infarction (heartattack), severe burns, kidney failure, fasting, bulimi

a nervosa, gastrointestinal bleeding, adrenal insufficiency, oraddison'

s disease.

• Hypokalaemia refers to low potassium level in the blood.
• It can occur due to:

o Severe dehydration

o Aldosteronism

o Cushing's syndrome

o Kidney disease

o Long term diuretic therapy

o Certain penicillins

o Laxative abuse

o Congestive heart failure

o Adrenal gland impairments

Calcium

• Hypercalcemia refers to high level of calcium in the blood than normal
• Blood calcium levels may be elevated in cases of :

o Thyroid disorder,

o Multiple myeloma,

o Metastatic cancer,

o Multiple bone fractures,

o Milk alkali syndrome,

o Paget's disease.

• Hypocalcaemia refers to low calcium level in the blood
• It can occur due to:

o Thyroid disorders

o Kidney failure

o Severe burns

o Sepsis

o Vitamin d deficiency,

o Medications such as heparin and glucogan

Magnesium

• Hypermagnesemia refers to excessive magnesium levels in the blood.

It may occur with endstage renal disease,addison's disease, or an overdo

se of magnesium salts

• Hypomagnesemia refers to low level of magnesium in the blood it can

occur due to

inadequate dietary intake of magnesium, often caused by chronic alcohol

ism or malnutrition.

Other causes include malabsorption syndromes, pancreatitis,aldosteronis

m, burns, hyperathyroidism, digestive system disorders, and diuretic us

e

Chloride

• Hyperchloremia refers to high chloride level in the blood than normal.
• It can occur due to

severe dehydration, kidney failure, hemodialysis, traumatic brain injur

y,and aldosterone

Hypochloremia usually occurs as a result of sodium and potassium depleti

on

(i.e.hyponatremia,hypokalemia)severe depletion of serum chloride levels caus

es metabolic alkalosis.

Phosphorus

• Hyperphosphatemia: high level of phosphorus in the blood than normal
• Causes of phosphate retention and build up in the blood are :

Skeletal fractures or disease, kidney failure, hypoparathyroidism, hemod

ialysis, diabetic ketoacidosis, acromegaly, systemic infection, and int

estinal obstruction serum phosphate levels of 2 mg/dl or below may be c

aused by hypomagnesemia and hypokalemia.

• It can be caused by severe burns, alcoholism, diabetic

ketoacidosis, kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism,hypothyroidism, cushi

ng's syndrome, malnutrition, hemodialysis, vitamin d

deficiency, and prolonged diuretic therapy

STEP 5: Oedema and Ascites (15 minutes)

Oedema

• Oedema is swelling caused by fluid retention
• Signifies increased fluid in the interstitial tissue spaces or body

cavities.

• Fluid collections in different body cavities are variously designated

depending on the site where it accumulates.

• It occurs through:-

o Increased hydrostatic pressure,

o Reduced plasma oncotic pressure,

o Lymphatic obstruction and

o Water and sodium retention

• Oedema caused by malnutrition defines kwashiorkor, an acute form of

childhood protein-energy malnutrition characterized by oedema,

irritability, anorexia, ulcerating dermatoses, and an enlarged liver

with fatty infiltrates.

• There are many types of oedema. The most common ones are:

o Peripheral oedema – in the feet (pedal oedema), ankles, legs, hands and

arms.

o Cerebral oedema – in and around the brain (cerebral oedema).

[pic]

Source: Standring, S., 2008

Figure 21.1 a: Oedema

Ascites (peritoneal cavity

fluid)

• It is an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity
• Most commonly occur due to liver cirrhosis or metastatic cancer and

kidney disorders

[pic]

Source: Standring, S., 2008 Figure 21.1 b: Ascites

STEP 6: Key Points (5 minutes)

• The normal body physiology requires optimum pH environment
• When the blood pH falls below 7.35 and all the reserves of alkaline

buffers are consumed the condition of acidosis exists but when the pH

rises above 7.45, the increased alkali uses up all the acid reserve and

the state of alkalosis

• Some of the common electrolyte disorders include hypernatremia,

hyponatremia, hypokalaemia, hypercalcemia, hypocalcaemia, oedema, ascites

• Oedema is swelling caused by fluid retention while ascites is an

accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity

STEP 7: Evaluation (5 minutes)

• What are the components of buffer system?
• What is acidosis
• What is alkalosis?
• What are the common electrolyte disorders?
• What are the causes of Oedema?

References

Anne, W. & Grant, A. (2006). Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in

Health and

Illness, (10th ed.). UK: Churchill Livingstone.

Kumar, V., Abbas, A.K., Fausto, N. & Mitchell, R. (2007). Robins Basic

Pathology (8th

ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

Tortora, G.J & Derrickson, B (2009) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

12th Edition,

USA, John Wiley & Sons Inc, USA

Walter, J.B. & Tabot, I.C. (1996). General Pathology (7th ed.). Edinburg:

Churchill

Livingstone.

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