Acid-Base Practice Questions

Metabolic acidosis is characterized by…

Increased blood H+ concentration or decreased blood levels of bicarbonate

Bicarbonate system is the most important buffer system because…

It can be readily excreted in the kidney and exchanged easily with carbon dioxide in the lungs

If the pH of blood decreases, which of these contributes most to buffering of this change in pH?

Bicarbonate buffer

A 6-year-old male dog is diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, which of the following statements is regarding this dog?

There will be increased concentration of H+ in the extracellular fluid leading to a decreased plasma pH

Which of these fluid solutions is considered useful in the treatment of severe acidosis of either respiratory or metabolic origin?

8.4% sodium bicarbonate

A 5-year-old queen comes to the clinic. She is reported to have been having several bouts of vomiting. Which of these is a most likely outcome?

Metabolic alkalosis

Which of these explains the development of tetany (neuromuscular excitability) in a dog diagnosed with alkalosis of either respiratory or metabolic origin?

Alkalosis causes relative hypocalcemia

To investigate the acid-base status of a dog presented to your clinic for routine health check, the arterial blood is usually preferred to the venous blood.

True

Acid-base status is not affected by blood cell metabolism and as a result blood drawn from a dog for acid-base evaluation can be stored for up to 24hrs period before laboratory analysis.

False

Blood pH can be obtained as a product of the arterial concentration of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate concentration.

False

In respiratory acidosis, the kidney would synthesize more bicarbonate ions, which would eventually be excreted while ammonium salt is reabsorbed.

False

In respiratory alkalosis, arterial carbon dioxide is significantly lower than normal, while arterial bicarbonate is either normal or lower than normal.

True

Respiratory alkalosis characterized by greater fall in arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure is usually associated with decreased cerebral blood flow due to cerebral vasoconstriction.

True

You get a call from triple R cattle farms. You are told that the cattle you cam eto examine had a switch in diet from roughage (like hay and grass) to high-concentrates over the past 4 days. The cattle show symptoms of dehydration, diarrhea, and depression. Blood work shows a pH value of 5.78 (normal value is 7.34). Describe the acid-base imbalance and what will be the most suitable compensation mechanism.

Metabolic acidosis, compensation would be by renal tubular secretion of H+ ion and respiratory mechanism by increased ventilation