ALKALOSIS DUE TO HYPERVENTILATION

Recently one of us (G. H. M.) reviewed the factors involved in the regulation of acid-base balance and pointed out the necessity of actual determination of the blood pH for correct differentiation of respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.1 Breathing in excess of the physiological requirements removes excessive quantities of carbon dioxide from the blood and tends to produce alkalosis. Hyperventilation may be severe enough to overcome the compensatory mechanisms, and the pH of the blood then rises above the accepted upper limit of normal (7.45). Symptoms that result include tingling of the fingers and toes, numbness of the face followed by carpopedal spasm and ultimately by generalized spasms, convulsions, delirium and disorientation. Alkalosis due to hyperventilation may be induced in a number of ways as outlined by Peters,2and Cantarow and Trumper3: acute hyperventilation, which occurs in unstable persons under sudden emotional stress; fever hyperventilation, which