What is the most probable acid-base disturbance in a 35-year-old female with AIDS, fever, and a history of copious diarrhea?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to identify the most likely acid-base disturbance in a patient with AIDS experiencing fever and severe diarrhea. The key clinical features provided indicate the patient may be suffering from dehydration and potential metabolic changes.
Answer
Metabolic acidosis.
The most probable acid-base disturbance in this patient is metabolic acidosis. This is primarily due to the loss of bicarbonate from copious diarrhea.
Answer for screen readers
The most probable acid-base disturbance in this patient is metabolic acidosis. This is primarily due to the loss of bicarbonate from copious diarrhea.
More Information
Metabolic acidosis occurs when there's a decrease in bicarbonate (HCO3-) in the blood, often due to its loss through diarrhea. This leads to a lower pH level (higher acidity), which is what's likely happening in this patient, considering the combination of symptoms and their condition.
Tips
A common mistake is to overlook the link between diarrhea and bicarbonate loss, leading to a misclassification of the acid-base disturbance. Remember that diarrhea generally leads to metabolic acidosis due to the loss of bicarbonate.
Sources
- Acid-Base disorders Cases - eClass ΕΚΠΑ - eclass.uoa.gr
- Gastrointestinal Disorders in HIV - PMC - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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