How does the renal system compensate for respiratory acidosis?
Respiratory acidosis is a metabolic state often seen in COPD’ers. Patients with COPD are unable to properly secrete CO2 from their blood, and in exchange, they become acidotic due to the build up of hydrogen ions. Patients with renal failure are also prone to acidosis due to the damage in their kidneys. The kidneys are the body’s main source of bicarb (HCO3) which helps to compensate (counteract) the effects of CO2. When a decrease in pH is detected, the kidneys begin to retain bicarb to compensate for the excess hydrogen ions in the blood. Unfortunately, compensation is a slow process and can often take several days. The pH level of the blood is maintained between 7.35 and 7.45. Levels below 7.35 are considered acidotic. CO2 (the body’s “acid”) ranges from 35 to 45. Levels above 45 are considered acidotic. HCO3 (the body’s “base”) ranges from 22-26. Too little base results in an acidotic state. Therefore, levels below 22 are considered acidotic. I hope this helped!
