What are the two types of acidosis?

What are the two types of acidosis?

• A. Metabolic acidosis
• B. Respiratory acidosis
• C. Metabolic acidosis and respiratory acidosis
• D. Lactic acidosis

Answer: (C)

Acid-base balance is guided by two main drivers: CO2 (respiratory) and bicarbonate (metabolic). Acidosis means the blood pH is below 7.35, and the primary categories are defined by where the disturbance comes from. The two broad, correct types are metabolic acidosis and respiratory acidosis. Metabolic acidosis arises when there’s an excess of acid or a loss of bicarbonate that isn’t due to the lungs, such as in diabetic ketoacidosis or, more specifically, lactic acidosis (which is a common mechanism of metabolic acidosis). Respiratory acidosis occurs when CO2 is not adequately expelled because of hypoventilation or lung disease, causing CO2 buildup. These distinctions matter because the body responds in opposite ways: metabolic acidosis provokes respiratory compensation by increasing ventilation to blow off CO2, while respiratory acidosis prompts renal adjustments to reclaim bicarbonate and excrete hydrogen ions over time. A situation where both systems are impaired can produce a mixed acidosis, but the two primary categories remain metabolic and respiratory acidosis.

Acid-base balance is guided by two main drivers: CO2 (respiratory) and bicarbonate (metabolic). Acidosis means the blood pH is below 7.35, and the primary categories are defined by where the disturbance comes from. The two broad, correct types are metabolic acidosis and respiratory acidosis. Metabolic acidosis arises when there’s an excess of acid or a loss of bicarbonate that isn’t due to the lungs, such as in diabetic ketoacidosis or, more specifically, lactic acidosis (which is a common mechanism of metabolic acidosis). Respiratory acidosis occurs when CO2 is not adequately expelled because of hypoventilation or lung disease, causing CO2 buildup.

These distinctions matter because the body responds in opposite ways: metabolic acidosis provokes respiratory compensation by increasing ventilation to blow off CO2, while respiratory acidosis prompts renal adjustments to reclaim bicarbonate and excrete hydrogen ions over time. A situation where both systems are impaired can produce a mixed acidosis, but the two primary categories remain metabolic and respiratory acidosis.