Bicarbonate
and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctorValeria Dahm is a freelance writer in the medical department. She studied medicine at the Technical University of Munich. It is particularly important to her to give the curious reader an insight into the exciting subject area of medicine and at the same time to maintain the content.
More about the expertsEva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.Bicarbonate (HCO3) is an important base in the body. It can be measured together with oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), the base excess (BE) and the pH value as part of a determination of blood gas values. As a base, bicarbonate is an important factor in regulating the pH value. Find out here what bicarbonate can tell you about your health.
What is bicarbonate?
Bicarbonate is an important part of the so-called bicarbonate buffer, the most important buffer system in the body. It ensures that the pH value in the body remains constant and that strong fluctuations can be quickly compensated for. As a base, bicarbonate is responsible for balancing out acidic substances.
Environment too sour
If acidic substances occur as protons (H +), the bicarbonate (HCO3) absorbs them and ultimately forms water (H2O) and the weakly acidic carbon dioxide (CO2) via an intermediate step as carbonic acid (H2CO3). CO2 is exhaled from the blood through the lungs so that the pH value can normalize.
Environment too basic
If too many bases are formed in the body, the bicarbonate buffer also intervenes. In this case, less CO2 is exhaled and instead converted backwards into bicarbonate and acidic substances. The pH drops.
When is bicarbonate determined?
Since the bicarbonate forms an essential component in the bicarbonate buffer, it is measured for all diseases that could lead to a change in the pH value. As a rule, these are respiratory or metabolic diseases. It is also used in the liver in the production of urea, so diseases of this organ reduce the consumption of bicarbonate. The following causes can be hidden behind changed bicarbonate values:
- Diseases and dysfunction of the lungs
- Diseases and dysfunction of the kidney
- Diseases and dysfunction of the liver
- severe circulatory disorders
- Metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus
Bicarbonate levels
To determine the level of bicarbonate, the doctor usually takes a small sample of blood from an artery. The following normal values apply:
|
Standard bicarbonate (HCO3) |
22-26 mmol / l |
The values must always be assessed in conjunction with the reference values of the respective laboratory, which is why deviations are possible. Age also plays a role in assessing the measured value. Newborns in particular have lower levels of bicarbonate.
When is the bicarbonate too low?
The bicarbonate is lowered when the body tries to buffer what is known as metabolic acidosis. It occurs when the pH value is too low and the blood is therefore too acidic (acidotic). As a counter-reaction, a lot of bicarbonate is consumed and more CO2 is exhaled through the lungs. This can be the case, for example, with a metabolic imbalance in diabetes mellitus. But there are also other possible causes of metabolic acidosis, for example abnormal bicarbonate production in the pancreas or a high lactate concentration during heavy muscle work.
When is the bicarbonate too high?
If the bicarbonate is too high, it is usually a so-called metabolic alkalosis. This means that the pH is too high and the blood too basic. To compensate for this, the body holds back CO2, which is converted into bicarbonate and acidic H +. Above all, excessive vomiting leads to acid loss.
What to do if the bicarbonate values change?
As a buffer substance, the bicarbonate is often subject to fluctuations, which come about through the equalization of the pH value through breathing. As a rule, other buffer systems in the body also intervene in these complex regulatory mechanisms, so that special therapy is often not necessary.
Only in emergencies or with seriously ill patients is the body no longer able to regulate the pH balance and bicarbonate through breathing. The administration of chloride can then increase the excretion of bicarbonate and thereby reduce increased values. In the opposite case, special buffer substances cause an increase in bicarbonate if it is too low.
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