TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 21. Acid–Base Disorders A1 - Chiu, William A1 - Jones, Kevin M. A1 - Chiu, William C. A2 - Farcy, David A. A2 - Chiu, William C. A2 - Flaxman, Alex A2 - Marshall, John P. Y1 - 2012 N1 - T2 - Critical Care Emergency Medicine AB - The assessment of an emergency patient's acid–base status must begin with a clinical suspicion that an underlying acid–base disorder exists. That an acid–base disorder might exist in a patient presenting obtunded, hypotensive, hypoperfused, or obviously in extremis is rarely surprising. Patients with more subtle presentations or chronic, well-compensated acid–base disorders often elude clinicians in today's busy and overtasked emergency departments. One must remain diligent for clinical signs, astutely reviewing basic electrolyte panels, and remain open to the possibility that a patient may be or become more ill than he or she first appears. Knowing when to investigate for the possibility of an acid–base disorder or evaluate for complex mixed acid–base disorders requires astute clinical acumen. Unfortunately, many emergency providers today lack the ability to perform mixed acid–base assessments with facility, and many mixed or complex disorders, no doubt, go undiagnosed or undertreated. SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/20 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=55812458 ER -