Point-of-Care Testing to Differentiate Various Acid-Base Disorders in Chronic Kidney Disease

Normal-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (AGMA) and high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA) are two forms of metabolic acidosis, which is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of various acid-base disorders in patients with advanced CKD using point-of-care testing (POCT) and to determine the relationship between POCT parameters.

In a group of 116 patients with CKD in stages G4 and G5, with a mean age of 62.5 ± 17 years, a sample of arterial blood was taken during the arteriovenous fistula procedure for POCT, which enables an assessment of the most important parameters of acid-base balance, including: pH, base excess (BE), bicarbonate (HCO₃^-), chloride(Cl^-), anion gap (AG), creatinine and urea concentration. Based on this test, patients were categorized according to the type of acidosis-base disorder.

Decompensate acidosis with a pH < 7.35 was found in 68 (59%) patients. Metabolic acidosis (MA), defined as the concentration of HCO₃^- ≤ 22 mmol/L, was found in 92 (79%) patients. In this group, significantly lower pH, BE, HCO₃^- and Cl^- concentrations were found. In group of MA patients, AGMA and HAGMA was observed in 48 (52%) and 44 (48%) of patients, respectively. The mean creatinine was significantly lower in the AGMA group compared to the HAGMA group (4.91 vs. 5.87 mg/dL, p < 0.05). The AG correlated positively with creatinine (r = 0.44, p < 0.01) and urea (r = 0.53, p < 0.01), but there was no correlation between HCO₃^- and both creatinine (r = -0.015, p > 0.05) and urea (r = -0.07, p > 0.05). The Cl^- concentrations correlated negatively with HCO₃^- (r = -0.8, p < 0.01).

The most common type of acid-base disturbance in CKD patients in stages 4 and 5 is AGMA, which is observed in patients with better kidney function and is associated with compensatory hyperchloremia. The initiation of renal replacement therapy was significantly earlier for patients diagnosed with HAGMA compared to those diagnosed with AGMA. The more advanced the CKD, the higher the AG.