Medical hypotheses
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We propose that in any acid-base disturbance there is a predictable mathematical relationship between the changes in the individual serum anionic concentrations of chloride, bicarbonate and the unmeasured anion gap. Two indices were developed, from the ratios of the changes in these anionic concentrations, that are useful in predicting the presence of an acid-base disturbance. ⋯ By utilizing the paired values of these indices, the 17 disturbances including simple, metabolic plus respiratory and triple disorders were subcategorized into 7 groups. It is suggested that the use of these indices will facilitate the diagnosis of complicated mixed acid-base disorders.