Mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis; report of a case showing deceptively little change in carbon dioxide content of the blood.

Abstract

CLINICAL disturbances of acid–base metabolism are usually indicated by a change in the serum carbon dioxide content. The latter is elevated in both metabolic alkalosis and respiratory acidosis, and it is reduced in metabolic acidosis and respiratory alkalosis. The severity of the acid–base disturbance as a rule may be judged by the magnitude of the change in carbon dioxide content, and the type of disturbance is generally apparent from a consideration of the clinical situation and the direction of change in content. For these reasons determinations of blood pH, although constituting the only definitive test for acidosis and alkalosis, are . . .