Which lab tests are usually used to detect Acidosis?

[Peyt]

Hi,
Does anyone know what lab tests are usually used to detect Acidosis?
I found this test: http://requestatest.com/lactic-acid-dehydrogenase-ldh-blood-test
But I just wanted to make sure it's not a urine test or some other test.... This way I can discuss with my doctor on the next visit. Your impute is appreciated.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

This is not a test for acidosis. Do you have a reason for thinking you might be acidotic?

 

[Peyt]

This is not a test for acidosis. Do you have a reason for thinking you might be acidotic?

No tests?
I just found this on webmed:


Testing
Tests can help your doctor figure out what's going on in your body so that you get the right treatment.

Anion gap. This test measures the chemical balance in your blood. It compares the numbers of positively and negatively charged particles, including sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate. Certain types of metabolic acidosis have a bigger difference -- or "gap" -- than others.

Arterial blood gases. This test measures the pH of your blood and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in it.

Urine tests can reveal ketoacidosis, kidney problems, and poisoning from alcohol, aspirin, and antifreeze. If you have diabetes, you can test your pee for ketones at home with test strips you can buy over the counter.

Some blood sugar meters can measure ketones in your blood.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

No tests?
I just found this on webmed:


Testing
Tests can help your doctor figure out what's going on in your body so that you get the right treatment.

Anion gap. This test measures the chemical balance in your blood. It compares the numbers of positively and negatively charged particles, including sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate. Certain types of metabolic acidosis have a bigger difference -- or "gap" -- than others.

Arterial blood gases. This test measures the pH of your blood and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in it.

Urine tests can reveal ketoacidosis, kidney problems, and poisoning from alcohol, aspirin, and antifreeze. If you have diabetes, you can test your pee for ketones at home with test strips you can buy over the counter.

Some blood sugar meters can measure ketones in your blood.

Yes, those are tests relevant to acidosis, not the one you quoted.

 

[Peyt]

Yes, those are tests relevant to acidosis, not the one you quoted.

Thanks. But I can't find any of these tests on requestatest to know exactly what it's called. I was hoping I can get the exact name of these tests as it is called here in USA.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Thanks. But I can't find any of these tests on requestatest to know exactly what it's called. I was hoping I can get the exact name of these tests as it is called here in USA.

When I saw a nephrologist she asked for all those tests one by one both in blood and urine in order to calculate the Anion gap on her own. But then she had forgotten to ask for chloride and could not calculate.

 

[Peyt]

Is this the one to use for the Anion Gap? http://requestatest.com/electrolyte-panel-testing

 

[Peyt]

Well if all that's needed for the Anion Gap measurement is those 4 electrolytes then I see my Doctor has already tested
them in the last lab he ordered. I have not seen him to discuss the test results, but besides Sodium the rest look normal:

Sodium, Serum 147 High 134 - 144
Potassium, Serum 4.6 3.5 - 5.2
Chloride, Serum 105 96 - 106
Carbon Dioxide, Total 24 18 - 29

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Well if all that's needed for the Anion Gap measurement is those 4 electrolytes then I see my Doctor has already tested
them in the last lab he ordered. I have not seen him to discuss the test results, but besides Sodium the rest look normal:

Sodium, Serum 147 High 134 - 144
Potassium, Serum 4.6 3.5 - 5.2
Chloride, Serum 105 96 - 106
Carbon Dioxide, Total 24 18 - 29

The results can be normal but the gap abnormal. You may need a bicarbonate but presumably that is what they mean by total carbon dioxide. Your doctor would use a formula to derive an anion gap. I am not sure how many doctors bother these days. If a doctor seriously thinks there may be acidosis they are likely to do a blood gas analysis.

 

[Valentijn]

Sodium, Serum 147 High 134 - 144
Potassium, Serum 4.6 3.5 - 5.2
Chloride, Serum 105 96 - 106
Carbon Dioxide, Total 24 18 - 29

You can calculate the anion gap with this: Sodium - (Chloride + CO2)
So yours would be 147 - 129 = 18. It sounds like normal is 3-11, so yours might be high. It could indicate elevated anions, including lactate.

But as @Jonathan Edwards says, a blood gas analysis is a lot more useful. Hospitals and most clinics with blood-drawing capacity will have a machine that can run a panel of tests on a venous blood sample, and have results in a few minutes.

 

[Peyt]

You can calculate the anion gap with this: Sodium - (Chloride + CO2)
So yours would be 147 - 129 = 18. It sounds like normal is 3-11, so yours might be high. It could indicate elevated anions, including lactate.

But as @Jonathan Edwards says, a blood gas analysis is a lot more useful. Hospitals and most clinics with blood-drawing capacity will have a machine that can run a panel of tests on a venous blood sample, and have results in a few minutes.

Thanks so much for the formula.
I tried to find it on LabCorp's site and even though there is a page dedicated to it, I noticed there is no Lab code for ordering.
https://www.labcorp.com/help/patient-test-info/blood-gases

So I called LabCorp and they said this test should be performed at a hospital or a clinic that has the right equipment for it . Apparently the test needs to be done immediately after the blood is drawn and they don't have the equipment for it at LabCorp.

 

[dannybex]

@Valentijn -- this is somewhat on topic, but a little bit of a tangent as well. I was looking into d-lactate free probiotics, and came across this somewhat confounding study (on diarrheic calves!). Since you're so good at reading these things, I thought perhaps you could comment on it.

The title ("Lactobacillus GG does not affect D-lactic acidosis in diarrheic calves, in a clinical setting") seems to contradict the findings: "After therapy, D-lactic acidosis was absent at 48 hours in all but 1 calf."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16734098

??????

 

[Valentijn]

The title ("Lactobacillus GG does not affect D-lactic acidosis in diarrheic calves, in a clinical setting") seems to contradict the findings: "After therapy, D-lactic acidosis was absent at 48 hours in all but 1 calf."

It means the control calves (no probiotics) did just as well as the calves fed probiotics. So the probiotic calves never had lower D-lactate levels while on the treatment.

But it was only being used as an acute treatment, after problems developed. It's probably a bit unrealistic to think that the probiotics will cause a major change in intestinal bacteria in a two-day time frame.

 

[dannybex]

It means the control calves (no probiotics) did just as well as the calves fed probiotics. So the probiotic calves never had lower D-lactate levels while on the treatment.

But it was only being used as an acute treatment, after problems developed. It's probably a bit unrealistic to think that the probiotics will cause a major change in intestinal bacteria in a two-day time frame.

That's true, thanks. I guess my last question is, is d-lactic acidemia the same thing as d-lactic acidosis? Because they also said that 'D-lactic acidemia (>3 mmol/L) was present in 37/48 calves at admission'.

?

 

[Valentijn]

That's true, thanks. I guess my last question is, is d-lactic acidemia the same thing as d-lactic acidosis? Because they also said that 'D-lactic acidemia (>3 mmol/L) was present in 37/48 calves at admission'.

Technically speaking, acidosis is the process which leads to acidemia. Acidemia is the state of actually having the low blood pH.