About CLSIâs Subcommittee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) The goal of the Subcommittee on AST is to provide useful information to enable laboratories to assist the clinician in selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy for the best patient care.
Respiratory alkalosis. Respiratory alkalosis develops when rapid, deep breathing (hyperventilation) causes too much carbon dioxide to be expelled from the bloodstream. The most common cause of hyperventilation, and thus respiratory alkalosis, is anxiety. Other causes of hyperventilation and consequent respiratory alkalosis include pain, low levels of oxygen in the blood, fever, and aspirin overdose (which can also cause metabolic acidosis).
(See Pathogenesis of metabolic alkalosis and Clinical manifestations and evaluation of metabolic alkalosis and Treatment of metabolic alkalosis.) INTRACELLULAR SHIFT OF HYDROGEN. Metabolic alkalosis can be generated by a shift of hydrogen ions into the cells. This most often occurs in patients with potassium deficits and hypokalemia. This may be an important pathophysiologic mechanism in patients with metabolic alkalosis due to vomiting or nasogastric suction [7].