Definition

Noun: A medical condition characterized by an abnormally high level of acidity in the blood and other body tissues, resulting from an excess of hydrogen ions or a deficiency of bicarbonate.

Usage

The term "acidosis" is used in medical and clinical contexts to describe a pathological state of the body's acid-base balance. It is a condition, not a symptom or a specific disease. It is often discussed in relation to its causes, types (metabolic or respiratory), and corrective treatments.

Examples

• The patient was diagnosed with acidosis following the blood gas analysis.
• Diabetic ketoacidosis is a severe form of acidosis.
• The doctor explained that renal failure can lead to metabolic acidosis.

Advanced Usage

• "to correct acidosis": To administer treatment (e.g., intravenous bicarbonate) to normalize the blood pH.
  • The primary goal in the emergency room was to correct the patient's acidosis.
• "to be in acidosis": To be in a state of acidosis.
  • The lab results confirm the patient is in acidosis.

Variants and Related Words

• Acidotic (adj): Pertaining to or suffering from acidosis.
  • The acidotic state required immediate intervention.
• Metabolic acidosis (n): A type of acidosis caused by the overproduction of acids in the body or the kidneys' inability to excrete enough acid.
• Respiratory acidosis (n): A type of acidosis caused by inadequate ventilation, leading to a buildup of carbon dioxide.

Synonyms

• Acidemia (specifically refers to acidity of the blood, often used interchangeably in context).

Antonyms

• Alkalosis: A condition of abnormally low acidity (high alkalinity) of the blood and body tissues.

Related Phrases

• Compensated acidosis: A state where the body's regulatory mechanisms (like the lungs or kidneys) have partially corrected the pH imbalance, though the underlying acid-base disorder persists.
  • The patient has compensated metabolic acidosis.
• Anion gap acidosis: A specific subtype of metabolic acidosis identified by a calculation based on electrolyte levels.
  • The high anion gap indicated anion gap acidosis.

Noun

1. abnormally high acidity (excess hydrogen-ion concentration) of the blood and other body tissues