Video - Acid-base map and compensatory mechanisms

Acid-base maps and compensatory mechanisms are great tools for managing pH levels in the body. Ideally, the body should maintain a slightly alkaline pH range of 7.35 to 7.45. However, sometimes the body's pH levels can become unbalanced, usually due to an illness, like diabetic ketoacidosis.

When this happens, the body kicks off its compensatory mechanisms to restore the normal blood pH range. One mechanism involves the lungs, which through the control of the rate and depth of breathing regulate the amount of CO2 that's breathed out; and the kidneys, which carefully control the amount of HCO3 �� that's excreted.