Word parts
What it means
The opposite of acidosis. Normal arterial blood pH is 7.35–7.45; above 7.45 is alkalosis. In respiratory alkalosis the person breathes off too much carbon dioxide, as with fast breathing from anxiety or pain. In metabolic alkalosis the body has too much bicarbonate or has lost acid, as with long vomiting, nasogastric tubenay-zoh-GAS-trik toobA thin, flexible tube passed through the nose and down the esophagus into the stomach.nas/o nosegastr/o stomach-ic having to do withFull entry suction or some diuretics. It is read on an arterial blood gasar-TEER-ee-ul BLUD GASA blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.Full entry .
For the nurse
Look at the pH first, then the PaCO2 and bicarbonate, to tell which kind it is. Watch for tingling, muscle twitching, dizziness and a low potassiumpuh-TAS-ee-umA mineral in the blood that nerves and muscles, including the heart, need in order to work.Full entry level. A client who is breathing fast from anxiety is coached to slow the breathing down.
In a chart
"ABG: pH 7.51, PaCO2 29 mm Hg, HCO3 24 mEq/L, consistent with respiratory alkalosis."
At a glance
| Spanish | alcalosis |
|---|---|
| Also written | alkalotic |
Related terms
-osis
A word ending that means an abnormal condition or process, or an increase.
arterial blood gas
A blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.
homeostasis
The body's way of keeping its inside conditions, such as temperature, fluids and blood sugar, steady.