Question

A person vomits frequently over a 24-hour period. They can keep down water but that is about it. Their bowl movements are normal consistency but infrequent. What acid-base imbalance will result.

Answer 1

Due to continuous vomiting over a period of 24 hours, the person can develop metabolic alkalosis.

Normal pH of the blood is between 7.35 - 7.45. A pH of less than 7.35 is called acidemia and a pH of more than 7.45 is called alkalemia. The process of reducing the hydrogen ions concentration in the body or increasing the bicarbonate ions concentration resulting in increase in the pH to more than 7.45 is called alkalosis.

Due to continuous vomiting over a period of 24 hours, the person loses a huge amount of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the stomach as a result of which the hydrogen ions concentration reduces significantly. This reduced hydrogen ions concentration increases the blood pH to more than 7.45 resulting in metabolic alkalosis.

The body tries to compensate for this metabolic alkalosis by causing respiratory acidosis by decreasing the breathing rate and thus retaining the carbon dioxide in the body. This retained carbon dioxide is converted into carbonic acid which generates hydrogen ions that compensates for the loss of hydrogen ions due to vomiting.