Nurse Ryan is assessing for correct placement of a nosogartric tube.
The nurse aspirates the stomach contents and check the contents for pH. The nurse verifies correct tube placement if which pH value is noted?
a. 3.5
b. 7.0
c. 7.35
d. 7.5
Answer A.
If the nasogastric tube is in the stomach, the pH of the contents will be acidic. Gastric aspirates have acidic pH values and should be 3.5 or lower. Option B indicates a slightly acidic pH. Option C indicates a neutral pH. Option D indicates an alkaline pH.
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pH in the human body:
The pH of the human body lies in a tight range between 7.35-7.45, and any minor changes in this range can have severe implications.
pH of various body fluids:
Although the blood pH sets from 7.35-7.45, the pH of other body fluids is different. the pH indicates the level of H + ions, where the lower pH indicates that too many H + ions and high alkalinity indicates too many OH ions. If the pH levels fall below 6.9, it can lead to a coma. However, different body fluids have different pH values. The pH of the saliva is placed from 6.5 to 7.5. After swallowing, the food reaches the stomach where the upper and lower parts of the stomach have different pH values. The upper part has a pH of 4-6.5, while the lower part is highly acidic with a pH of 1.5-4.0. Then it enters the intestine that is slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7-8.5. Maintaining the pH values of various regions is critical to its function.
Impact of altering the pH balance:
Different function of the organs at their optimum pH level. For example, the enzyme pepsin requires the lower pH to act and analyze the food, while the enzymes in the intestine require a high alkalinity or alkaline environment to function. Similarly, none increase or decrease in blood pH can lead to various disorders.
Maintain the body pH:
The pH is maintained in the body that uses mostly three mechanisms: protect the systems, the respiratory control, and the renal control.
Protect the systems:
Proteins form a part of the buffer system to regulate pH levels. These proteins can act as H + acceptors or donors due to the presence of basic or acidic groups. Phosphate buffers also similarly help in moderating pH levels. Buffers can help in pH regulation during minor physiological changes, for example during apnea (which increases CO2 in the blood), exercise (which increases lactic acid in the blood), or when the Gastric acid.
Respiratory control:
The pH of the blood during normal conditions is 7.4. However, CO2 dissociates in carbonic acid in tissues. Thus, the presence of more CO2 makes the blood more acidic. That is the reason when we hold our breath for long durations, CO2 levels increase from the blood that lowers our pH leading to fainting. On the other hand during alkalosis or increasing pH, breathing can get slow to increase CO2 levels and reduce alkalinity. However, the lower respiratory rate could also lead to low oxygen levels that could be harmful. Thus, breathing offers an important control to regulate pH levels.
Renal control:
The renal system regulates the pH of the extracellular fluid. The changes in the pH induced by the respiratory system are in minutes, while the changes induced by the renal system are in the order of days. If the acidity of the liquids is high, the kidney secretes the H + ions, while if the carbonate ion levels are high it retains the H + ions and secretes the HCO3 ions. Although this process is slow but it can demonstrate an effective addressing mode to regulate the pH. A limitation of the renal rule is that the pH of the urine cannot be below 4.4. Thus, strong acids can be removed by reacting with the basic salts of phosphoric acid or by adding the base (NH3) to the urine.
Abnormalities in Acid-Base balance:
Abnormalities in acid-base balance are of two types: acidosis and alkalosis. In acidosis, the blood pH is lower or there is too much acid in the blood, while in alkalosis, the blood pH is high or there is too much base in the blood. Acidosis and alkalosis can cause any debt to the imbalance of acid-base secretion by the kidneys or altered levels of CO2 in the blood due to breathing disorders.
The nurse aspirates the stomach contents and check the contents for pH. The nurse verifies correct tube placement if which pH value is noted?
a. 3.5
b. 7.0
c. 7.35
d. 7.5
Answer A.
If the nasogastric tube is in the stomach, the pH of the contents will be acidic. Gastric aspirates have acidic pH values and should be 3.5 or lower. Option B indicates a slightly acidic pH. Option C indicates a neutral pH. Option D indicates an alkaline pH.
---------------------------
pH in the human body:
The pH of the human body lies in a tight range between 7.35-7.45, and any minor changes in this range can have severe implications.
pH of various body fluids:
Although the blood pH sets from 7.35-7.45, the pH of other body fluids is different. the pH indicates the level of H + ions, where the lower pH indicates that too many H + ions and high alkalinity indicates too many OH ions. If the pH levels fall below 6.9, it can lead to a coma. However, different body fluids have different pH values. The pH of the saliva is placed from 6.5 to 7.5. After swallowing, the food reaches the stomach where the upper and lower parts of the stomach have different pH values. The upper part has a pH of 4-6.5, while the lower part is highly acidic with a pH of 1.5-4.0. Then it enters the intestine that is slightly alkaline, with a pH of 7-8.5. Maintaining the pH values of various regions is critical to its function.
Impact of altering the pH balance:
Different function of the organs at their optimum pH level. For example, the enzyme pepsin requires the lower pH to act and analyze the food, while the enzymes in the intestine require a high alkalinity or alkaline environment to function. Similarly, none increase or decrease in blood pH can lead to various disorders.
Maintain the body pH:
The pH is maintained in the body that uses mostly three mechanisms: protect the systems, the respiratory control, and the renal control.
Protect the systems:
Proteins form a part of the buffer system to regulate pH levels. These proteins can act as H + acceptors or donors due to the presence of basic or acidic groups. Phosphate buffers also similarly help in moderating pH levels. Buffers can help in pH regulation during minor physiological changes, for example during apnea (which increases CO2 in the blood), exercise (which increases lactic acid in the blood), or when the Gastric acid.
Respiratory control:
The pH of the blood during normal conditions is 7.4. However, CO2 dissociates in carbonic acid in tissues. Thus, the presence of more CO2 makes the blood more acidic. That is the reason when we hold our breath for long durations, CO2 levels increase from the blood that lowers our pH leading to fainting. On the other hand during alkalosis or increasing pH, breathing can get slow to increase CO2 levels and reduce alkalinity. However, the lower respiratory rate could also lead to low oxygen levels that could be harmful. Thus, breathing offers an important control to regulate pH levels.
Renal control:
The renal system regulates the pH of the extracellular fluid. The changes in the pH induced by the respiratory system are in minutes, while the changes induced by the renal system are in the order of days. If the acidity of the liquids is high, the kidney secretes the H + ions, while if the carbonate ion levels are high it retains the H + ions and secretes the HCO3 ions. Although this process is slow but it can demonstrate an effective addressing mode to regulate the pH. A limitation of the renal rule is that the pH of the urine cannot be below 4.4. Thus, strong acids can be removed by reacting with the basic salts of phosphoric acid or by adding the base (NH3) to the urine.
Abnormalities in Acid-Base balance:
Abnormalities in acid-base balance are of two types: acidosis and alkalosis. In acidosis, the blood pH is lower or there is too much acid in the blood, while in alkalosis, the blood pH is high or there is too much base in the blood. Acidosis and alkalosis can cause any debt to the imbalance of acid-base secretion by the kidneys or altered levels of CO2 in the blood due to breathing disorders.
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Gastrointestinal Diseases