Excessive vomiting will cause:?

Appeared in: NORCET 6 mains-2024

Explanation

Excessive vomiting leads to the loss of large amounts of gastric acid (hydrochloric acid, HCl).
The loss of hydrogen ions (H+) from the stomach causes the pH of the extracellular fluid to rise, leading to a state of alkalosis.
This specific type of imbalance is known as metabolic alkalosis.
It is often accompanied by hypochloremia (loss of chloride) and hypokalemia (loss of potassium) as the body tries to compensate.

Option A: Acidosis is a decrease in blood pH. Vomiting causes a loss of acid, which raises pH, not lowers it.
Option C: This option is incorrect because there is a specific and predictable outcome, which is alkalosis.
Option D: This option is incorrect because acidosis and alkalosis are opposite conditions; they cannot both be the direct result of the same process.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Acid-Base Imbalance from Gastrointestinal Losses as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must monitor patients with persistent vomiting for signs of metabolic alkalosis, such as confusion, muscle twitching, and tingling, as well as signs of dehydration.
Key nursing interventions include administering antiemetics to control vomiting, replacing fluids and electrolytes (especially potassium and chloride) via IV, and monitoring vital signs and lab values (blood gases, electrolytes).
What if? If the patient had severe, prolonged diarrhea instead of vomiting, the correct answer would be Acidosis. Diarrhea causes a significant loss of bicarbonate (a base) from the intestines, leading to metabolic acidosis.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core process in the question: 'Excessive vomiting'.
Recall the contents of the stomach. The stomach secretes hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is highly acidic.
Reason about the effect of losing this substance. Losing a large amount of acid from the body will make the remaining body fluids more basic (alkaline).
Connect this physiological effect to the options. An increase in pH is termed 'alkalosis'.
Eliminate 'Acidosis' as it is the opposite condition. Eliminate 'None of these' and 'All of the above' as a specific outcome is expected.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 82-84

E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 2 (pp 421-820 of 840) p. 99-101

E6 Physiology Guyton 4SAE Part 2B p. 77-79

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