Individuals experiencing prolonged vomiting lose a great deal of hydrochloric acid with the vomitus. Predict the effect this loss of acid will have on the pH of the blood. How will the respiratory system respond to the change in pH? (Connects to Chapters​ 2 and 21)​

Video transcript

Hi, everyone. Let's take a look at this practice problem together, prolonged vomiting would cause what shift in the acid base balance of the body. The answer options are a respiratory acidosis, b, metabolic acidosis, c respiratory alkalosis and d metabolic alkalosis. So, the acid base balance in the body recall that bodily fluids are maintained at a certain ph level and they have a narrow range and that narrow range is between 7.35 and 7.45. There are certain terms we use when we are describing abnormal body fluid ph levels. So let's review those terms together. So body ph imbalance is either called acidosis or alkalosis acidosis is when the PH is less than 7.35. And alkalosis is a ph greater than 7.45. Now, both acidosis and alkalosis can be either respiratory or metabolic. So, in respiratory acidosis, it is due to an excess of carbon dioxide. Metabolic acidosis is due to an excess of hydrogen ions or the loss of bicarbonate ions. Respiratory alkalosis is due to the loss of carbon dioxide and metabolic alkalosis is due to hydrogen ion loss or in excess of bicarbonate ions. So, ph imbalances that are respiratory. So, respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis involve changes in carbon dioxide concentrations. That means it involves changes in normal lung functioning. Now, vomiting does not involve the lungs or carbon dioxide changes. Therefore, we can eliminate both options. A and C. Now recall that with vomiting, it is the loss of gastric fluids and gastric fluids are acidic, meaning that there's a high concentration of hydrogen ions. So, vomiting results in the loss of those acidic gastric fluids and therefore the loss of hydrogen ions. Therefore, that is going to result in metabolic alkalosis, which is hydrogen ion loss. So the correct answer is option d, metabolic alkalosis. All right, everyone. I hope you found this helpful and I'll see you soon for the next practice problem.