alkalosis
Học thuậtThân thiện
A doctor points to a chart showing a patient's blood pH level to explain alkalosis.
Definition
- Noun:
- A pathological condition: Alkalosis is a medical condition characterized by an abnormally high level of alkalinity (or a low concentration of hydrogen ions) in the blood and other body tissues, disrupting the body's normal acid-base balance.
Usage
- Alkalosis is a clinical diagnosis, typically identified through blood tests.
- It is often discussed in contrast to its opposite condition, acidosis.
- The term is primarily used in medical, physiological, and biochemical contexts.
Examples
- Noun:
- The patient's rapid breathing was a symptom of respiratory alkalosis.
- Metabolic alkalosis can result from prolonged vomiting.
- The doctor ordered tests to check for alkalosis.
Advanced Usage
- "Compensated alkalosis": A state where the body has partially corrected the pH imbalance, though the underlying alkalotic condition persists.
- Despite the alkalosis, her blood pH was nearly normal due to renal compensation.
- Alkalosis is frequently modified by its cause or type, forming common compound terms in medical literature. These are considered distinct technical terms:
- Respiratory alkalosis: Caused by excessive exhalation of carbon dioxide (hyperventilation).
- Metabolic alkalosis: Caused by a loss of acid or an increase in bicarbonate in the body fluids.
Variants and Related Words
- Alkalotic (adj): Relating to or affected by alkalosis.
- The patient was in an alkalotic state.
- Alkalemia (n): Specifically denotes alkalosis of the blood. Often used interchangeably with alkalosis in a clinical context.
Synonyms
- Base excess (in a clinical measurement context): A positive base excess value is indicative of metabolic alkalosis.
- Alkaline state: A more general, non-technical term for a condition of high alkalinity.
Antonyms
- Acidosis: A pathological condition of abnormally high acidity (low pH) in the blood and body tissues.
A doctor points to a chart showing a patient's blood pH level to explain alkalosis.
Noun
- abnormally high alkalinity (low hydrogen-ion concentration) of the blood and other body tissues