• G-C Funk, D Doberer, G Heinze, C Madl, U Holzinger, and B Schneeweiss.
• Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, AKH, Waehringerguertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. georg-christian.funk@meduniwien.ac.at
• Anaesthesia. 2004 Nov 1; 59 (11): 1111-5.

AbstractAlterations of electrolytes and albumin cause metabolic acid-base disorders. It is unclear, however, to what degree these plasma components affect the overall metabolic acid-base state in the course of critical illness. We performed serial analyses of the metabolic acid-base state in 30 critically ill patients over the course of 1 week. We applied a physical-chemical acid-base model and used a linear regression model to determine the influence of sodium, chloride, unmeasured anions and albumin on the net metabolic acid-base state. Progressive hypochloraemia was identified as the main cause of developing metabolic alkalosis. Changes in serum chloride and unmeasured anions were responsible for changes of 41% and 22% in the metabolic acid-base state, respectively. Sodium and albumin played a minor role. In conclusion, chloride is the major determinant of metabolic acid-base state in critical illness.

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