Acute & emergency · UKMLA & AKT
Respiratory alkalosis
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise respiratory alkalosis — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Respiratory alkalosis = high pH (>7.45), low PaCO2 (<4.7 kPa) from hyperventilation. Important to distinguish primary respiratory alkalosis from compensatory hyperventilation (e.g. Kussmaul breathing in DKA - where the primary disorder is metabolic acidosis with raised anion gap, not respiratory alkalosis).
DKA causes metabolic acidosis with increased anion gap. Kussmaul breathing (compensatory hyperventilation) may lower PaCO2, but the primary ABG finding is metabolic acidosis - not respiratory alkalosis.
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