Acid-base disorders: learning the basics.

Nutrition support practitioners should be confident in their ability to recognize and treat various metabolic and respiratory disorders encountered in daily practice. A clinician's comprehension of the underlying physiologic processes and/or exogenous causes that occur during acid-base disorders is essential when making therapeutic decisions regarding fluids, parenteral nutrition, and electrolyte management. This invited review will discuss basic metabolic and respiratory disorders while briefly addressing mixed acid-base disorders.