Acidosis disrupts the body’s acid-base balance, affecting potassium levels in the blood serum. Respiratory problems, kidney disease, and endocrine disorders can cause acidosis. Potassium levels reflect the type of acidosis, and awareness of the link between potassium and acidosis is important for healthcare professionals and patients. Treatment options depend on the cause of abnormal blood chemistry. Increasing potassium intake may not always be the solution.
Acidosis can affect the amount of potassium in a patient’s blood serum, causing it to become unusually high or low. Patients develop acidosis when the body’s acid-base balance is disrupted because the lungs or kidneys are not working properly. They normally regulate internal pH by oxygenating the body and excreting unnecessary compounds in the urine. People can develop acidosis due to respiratory problems, kidney disease, endocrine disorders, and other problems that disrupt normal metabolism.
One connection between potassium and acidosis is the tendency of serum potassium levels to reflect the type of patient’s acidosis. A technician can take a sample of the patient’s blood to determine how much potassium is floating freely through the system, circulating to the cells. This sample can also be used to measure other compounds in the blood that can provide more information about the patient’s condition.
Some forms increase blood serum potassium. This occurs due to a sharp movement from the cells into the bloodstream in an attempt to keep the pH stable. The reverse can also be seen with potassium and acidosis, where the blood becomes hypokalemic; this means there is not enough potassium in circulation. This occurs with struggling kidneys excreting potassium instead of storing it.
In cases where a patient appears to have acidosis, awareness of the link between potassium and acidosis may be important. This can help the healthcare professional decide which tests to order and how to read the results. The best treatment option may depend on why the patient’s blood chemistry is abnormal; the patient may need respiratory support to increase oxygenation, for example, or dialysis to replace kidneys that are failing to properly filter metabolic byproducts. Laboratories also consider the connection between potassium and acidosis when reporting results and may note any particular results they wish to attract the attention of the person ordering the test.
For patients, it may also be important to consider the connection between potassium and acidosis. Low serum potassium levels do not necessarily mean that a patient should start taking a supplement immediately. You need to find out why your levels are abnormal and approach treatment with that in mind. Sometimes increasing the intake may solve the problem, while in others it may just increase the burden on the kidney failure and could lead to further problems for the patient.
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