How does excessive vomitting cause metabolic alkalosis and why normal saline can be used to correct it?!
Question: How does excessive vomitting cause metabolic alkalosis and why normal saline can be used to correct it.?
Answers:
When you vomit you lose acid from the stomach (HCl) causing alkalosis. Health Question & Answer
with excessive vomiting not only do you lose stomach acid, but other bodily fluids and electrolytes,including sodium and potassium. This causes the blood pH to rise above whats considered normal. Normal saline is closest to the body's own fluids. By replacing fluids lost with the vomiting, you are replacing the lost hydrogen ions and diluting the body's blood volume, thereby lowering the pH of the blood.Health Question & Answer
You lose HCL (stomach acid) when you vomit. If you have less acid in your body then your pH is going to go up. Increased pH leads to metabolic alkalosis and electrolyte imbalances. You give NS to treat the dehydration (when you vomit you not only lose HCL but fluid as well) and you usually will have electrolytes added to the NS to correct the imbalance. Health Question & Answer
hypokalemia from excessive vomiting affects electrolytes, esp. potassium, which screws up the renal tubal system, sodium filters go crazy and blood gases ph goes haywire. muscles are affected, can get very nasty indeed.Health Question & Answer