Disturbance of normal acid-base balance is a defining feature of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), the acute and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes that results from severe insulin deficiency. The cause of the acidosis in such cases is abnormal accumulation in blood of the two ketoacids, acetoacetate and ...

Mechanical ventilation is normally adjusted so that pCO2 is maintained within normal limits (35-45 mmHg). However, the intensity of ventilation required to sustain a normal pCO2 can cause mechanical damage to the lungs of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).  One of the strategies used to minimize ...