A 56-year-old man in the intensive care unit with a complex acid-base disturbance.

摘要

Acid-base disturbances, often complex in na-ture, are common in seriously ill patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit. These disturbances not only can have an important impact on the clinical outcome of the patient, but also can offer a clue to the presence of an underlying disorder. Therefore, correct diagnosis is essential to optimal care of the patient. This case illustrates a stepwise approach to the analysis of such a complex acid-base disturbance, an approach based on the physiological model of assessing acid-base status.