Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

7.1: Definition

  • Page ID
    10905
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    A Primary Process

    A metabolic alkalosis is a primary acid-base disorder which causes the plasma bicarbonate to rise to a level higher than expected. The severity of a metabolic alkalosis is determined by the difference between the actual [HCO3-]and the expected [HCO3-].

    Not a Compensatory Process

    Secondary or compensatory processes which cause an elevation in plasma bicarbonate should not be confused with the primary processes. An elevation in bicarbonate occurring in response to a chronic respiratory acidosis should be referred to as a 'compensatory response' and never as a secondary metabolic alkalosis.

    You should be aware that many articles (esp in the surgical literature) will refer to a 'compensated metabolic alkalosis' as a 'metabolic alkalosis with a (secondary) respiratory acidosis'. This is wrong as the hypoventilation is a compensatory process and does not indicate any primary respiratory problem. Another implication of the incorrect terminology is that acid-base disorders always occur in pairs and this is ridiculous and of no help in patient management.

    The terminology of acid-base disorders is covered in Section 3.1.


    This page titled 7.1: Definition is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Kerry Brandis via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

    • Was this article helpful?