Acidosis

Overview
Acidosis is excessive acid in the body fluids.

Symptoms
See the specific types of acidosis.

Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause. See the specific types of acidosis.

Causes
*Diabetic acidosis (also called diabetic ketoacidosis and DKA) develops when ketone bodies build up during uncontrolled diabetes. *Hyperchloremic acidosis results from excessive loss of sodium bicarbonate from the body, as in severe diarrhea. *Lactic acidosis is a buildup of lactic acid. This can be caused by:

Causes (cont..)
*Alcohol *Cancer *Liver failure *Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) *Medications such as salicylates *Prolonged exercise *Prolonged lack of oxygen from shock, heart failure, or severe anemia *Seizures *Kidney disease (distal renal tubular acidosis and proximal renal tubular acidosis) *Severe dehydration

Tests & diagnosis

An arterial blood gas analysis or a blood chemistry, such as a Chem-20, will confirm acidosis in most cases. Other tests may be needed to determine the cause of the acidosis.

Prognosis
Acidosis can be dangerous if untreated. Many cases respond well to treatment.

Prevention
Preventing or treating the underlying causes may prevent some cases of acidosis.

Complications
See the specific types of acidosis.

When to contact a doctor

Although there are several types of acidosis, all will cause symptoms that require treatment by your health care provider.