The assessment of acid-base abnormalities is a core competency in critical care and clinical toxicology. These disorders are manifestations of underlying disease processes and not diagnoses in themselves. Several potentially lethal poisonings produce characteristic acid-base abnormalities. The detection of any acid-base disorder during assessment of the poisoned or potentially poisoned patient mandates careful characterisation to produce a differential diagnosis as the initial step to definitive diagnosis and management.
References
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- Levy B. Lactic acidosis and hyperlactatemia. In: Vincent J-L, ed. 2006 Yearbook of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine. Berlin: Springer-Verlag 2006. 91.
- Whittier WL, Rutecki GW. Primer on clinical acid-base problem solving. Disease
- Monitoring 2004; 50:117-162.
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