- Internal Code :
- Subject Code : CNA255
- University : University of Tasmania
- Subject Name : Medical Sciences
Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
Relation and Inference: Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
Metabolic acidosis, mainly lactic acidosis is a common complication in emergency response. The accumulation of the serum lactate as onset metabolic acidosis (serum pH <7.37). There are two types of lactic acidosis: Type A and type B with different diagnoses and treatment methods. Type A is characterised by cardiogenic shock, hypoxia, haemorrhagic shock, and carbon monoxide position. On the other hand, Type B lactic acidosis is caused by the presence of hypoxia. Biological determinants can be the presence of hereditary deficiency of enzymes particularly (Glucose 6-phosphatase). Pre-admission sodium bicarbonate use has undesirable impacts on the long-term recovery period for patients with metabolic acidosis (Kawano et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2016). Drugs and toxins such as metformin, cyanide, and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Although rare, the complications can be triggered by metformin.
The agent can cause lactic acidosis, specifically, in patients advanced in the age which poses hepatic, cardiac, and renal dysfunction. Graham complained of confusion and leg cramps; prerequisites for muscle catabolism (Raphael, 2018). Even after sleeping for ten hours, he woke up feeling worse than before, having not voided urine before embarking on the marathon. There is a potential risk for leaving acidosis unintended. Diabetic emergencies, Hyponatremia, and pulmonary emergencies are the most common. The patients have fatigue, increased heart rate, lack of appetite, and sleepiness that characterise metabolic acidosis. All the aforementioned traits were present in the patient. The paper will explore the biopsychosocial determinants of lactic acidosis in the patient; provide assessments and evaluation on diagnosis and the care interventions.
Pathophysiology of lactic acidosis is similar to another metabolic acidosis to a significant extend. The presence of shock or the performance of strenuous exercises leads to the generation of lactic acid (15-20mmol/kg/day) in a process called pyruvic acid metabolism. The liver to produce water and carbon monoxide metabolizes lactic acid. In this case, there are two mechanisms for the accumulation of lactate. One is the increase in lactate production due to sub-optimal delivery of oxygen to the tissues due to the experience of shock. Altered redox process leads to lactate production. Secondly, the decrease in lactate. Lactic acidosis occurs when there is increased generation of lactic acid as one of the by-products of anaerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration leads to reduced oxygen delivery, which provides the prerequisite conditions for the occurrence of shock and hypotension. Other risks include carbon monoxide poisoning and hypoxemia. The increase in tissue demand for oxygen during intense exercises like marathons triggers the situation.
Justifications of the Goals and Evaluation: Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
Holistic diagnostics for causes of metabolic acidosis require close monitoring of the patient’s laboratory results, clinical history, and arterial blood gas. The diagnostic strategy will commerce with the measurement of arterial blood gas. Graham’s bicarbonate level decreases significantly in differential diagnosis; this makes certain tests include respiratory alkalosis. The levels of bicarbonate will provide insightful information on not only the confirmation of lactic acidosis but also the opportunity for conducting tests on mixed acidosis. Henderson-Hasselbalch's approach to determining the anion gap is used. The clinical approach to diagnosis should also focus on non-anion lactic acidosis (Rastegar, & Nagami, 2017). In this case, the corrected albumin provides insight into metabolic acidosis. However, other methods, like the Stewart method, provide insight into situations that the former method might provide inconclusive results. The results that are of most importance are blood sodium and chloride balance, complex disorders, and acid-base balance.
The cause of metabolic acidosis is a shock from running the marathon during intense heat. It is because the kidney has a function of reclaiming the filtered hydrocarbon ion and the excretion of the acid per day. Therefore, to effectively evaluate lactic acidosis, it may be necessary also to check out whether the kidney is functionally able to absorb hydrocarbon ions. In contrast, excretion of positive hydrogen ions contributes to excretion of ammonia (Szerlip, 2014) The simplest test that can be done is the measuring of the urine pH and can be measured by using a dipstick. However, the lack of accuracy of the technique has resulted in mixed results in many experiments. Favourably, urine ought to be collected under oil, and the pH measured the pH electrode. Under the circumstances that there was the loading of acids, the level should be below 5.5. The pH level that is higher than the one mentioned-earlier is a reflection of distal hydrogen ion secretion (Jung et al., 2019).
Reflection and Contemplation: Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
Most of the cancerous cells have been shown to use aerobic glycolysis for purposes of producing energy and proliferation of the cells. The presence of such a scenario usually results in the development of hypoglycaemia and severe type B lactic acidosis. The sudden development of heightened lactic acidosis ought to raise suspicion presence of haematological malignancy and therefore should be regarded as an oncologic and hematologic emergency
On diagnosis, experts have suggested the use of tailored algorithms for improving the etiological diagnosis of lactic acidosis. Because of the compounding effects of the mixed types of acidosis that might be present in a patient, more precise measurement scales for diagnosis ought to be made. Diagnosis usually focuses on measuring the level of lactate and blood pH levels. On condition of shock due to the increase of carbon monoxide, the result is the reduction of Pulmonary blood flow. Treatment approaches usually focus on differential diagnosis to discover the underlying disorder or condition. The restoration of the normal perfusion level of the tissue is done leading to a reduction of the production of lactate. In the long run, the glycolysis of excess lactate acid to hyrocarbonate (Batlle, Chin-Theodorou, & Tucker, 2017).
Bicarbonate therapy, as a response to acid-base disequilibrium, is also another viable treatment method. However, the usage of these approaches is discouraged, given that the possibilities of worsening intracellular acidosis are elevated. Most importantly, this approach is usually advocated for patients with reserved levels of pH of less than 7.2. As a long-term solution, Sodium bicarbonate could be administered to increase the pH levels of the blood. Sodium bicarbonate may also limit the undesired effects of the cardiovascular effects of acid-base imbalances (Kraut, & Madias, 2016). Patients with a history of using metformin should be handled as unique in the diagnosis of metabolic acidosis, given that the presence of metformin triggers acidosis (Shallal et al., 2018).
Conclusion on Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
In summary, lactic acidosis is one of the most types of metabolic acidosis that commences in the kidney as opposed to the lungs. The other potential types of acidosis are renal tubular acidosis that develops when the kidney is unable to eliminate acids into the urine. The failure to eradicate acids leads to too much acid in the blood. Risk factors that facilitate the development of acidosis are obesity, dehydration, history of using metformin, diabetes, and kidney failure. Active patient assessment and referral predictions are vital for making transactional discharge and planning. The nurse should not focus on the pH value alone as the determining factor in critically ill patients. Hyperlactatemia levels should be identified and recorded at the onset. The therapeutic and diagnostic management is planned to be fast and multifaceted if needed. An increase in the lactate of the blood is intended as the initial treatment. Pre-admission use of sodium bicarbonate could prove to have significant demerit in recuperation for patients with metabolic acidosis.
References for Nursing Interventions for Lactic Acidosis
Batlle, D, Chin-Theodorou, J, & Tucker, B (2017, ‘Metabolic acidosis or respiratory alkalosis? Evaluation of a low plasma bicarbonate using the urine anion gap’, American Journal of Kidney Diseases, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 440-444.
Jung, B, Martinez, M, Claessens, YE, Darmon, M, Klouche, K, Lautrette, A, Levraut, J, Maury, E, Oberlin, M, Terzi, N & Viglino, D 2019, ‘Diagnosis and management of metabolic acidosis: guidelines from a French expert panel’, Annals of Intensive Care, vol. 9, no. 1 , p.92.
Kawano, T, Grunau, B, Scheuermeyer, FX, Gibo, K, Dick, W, Fordyce, CB, Dorian, P, Stenstrom, R, Straight, R & Christenson, J 2017, ‘Prehospital sodium bicarbonate use could worsen long term survival with favorable neurological recovery among patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest’, Resuscitation, vol. 119, pp. 63-69.
Kim, J, Kim, K, Park, J, Jo, YH, Lee, JH, Hwang, JE, Ha, C, Ko, YS & Jung, E 2016, ‘Sodium bicarbonate administration during ongoing resuscitation is associated with increased return of spontaneous circulation’, The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 225-229.
Kraut, JA & Madias, NE 2016, ‘Metabolic acidosis of CKD: an update’, American Journal of Kidney Diseases, vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 307-317.
Raphael, KL 2018, ‘Metabolic acidosis and subclinical metabolic acidosis in CKD’, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 376-382.
Shallal, MD, Kelly, MD, Reaume, MD & Nichols, DO 2018, Survival after a severe case of metformin-associated lactic acidosis.
Remember, at the center of any academic work, lies clarity and evidence. Should you need further assistance, do look up to our Nursing Assignment Help