The treatment strategy for metabolic alkalosis is to induce the elimination of excess bicarbonate ions from the blood in the urine. Metabolic alkalosis can be categorized into saline-responsive alkalosis and saline-resistant alkalosis, and there are differences in the treatment of these two types of metabolic alkalosis.
1. Saline-responsive alkalosis: ① Saline therapy: plasma bicarbonate ion concentration can be restored by oral or intravenous injection of isotonic saline. ② Potassium chloride: patients with high potassium deficiency should be supplemented with potassium ions to correct alkalosis. (iii) Acid supplementation: severe metabolic alkalosis can be treated with acid directly, for example, 0.1 mol/L hydrochloric acid can be injected intravenously.
2. Saline-resistant alkalosis: for patients with generalized edema, diuretics should be used as little as possible to prevent alkalosis. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide can inhibit carbonic anhydrase activity in renal tubular epithelial cells to achieve the therapeutic purpose, but also reduce edema (do not self-medicate, and be sure to consult a doctor before using the drug).
If you suffer from metabolic alkalosis, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible to identify the cause and then follow the doctor’s instructions to standardize the treatment to avoid aggravation of the condition.