[Diagnosis, therapy and classification of alkalosis]

The pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis and treatment of alkalosis are described. Alkalemia is defined as an elevation in the blood pH and alkalosis refers to processes that tend to raise the pH, and divided into two types; metabolic alkalosis (a primary increase in plasma HCO3- concentration) and respiratory alkalosis (a primary decrease in PCO2). These disorders are most frequently observed in the hospitalized patients. As the critically ill-patients with severe alkalemia are often associated with high mortality, treatment should be directed to the underlying diseases and severe alkalemia should be corrected promptly.