| A mild respiratory alkalosis is a consequence of hyperventilation during exercise, anxiety attack, or fever. It also occurs in pregnancy.
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| Metabolic alkalosis is often associated with abnormally low potassium concentration in plasma, as a result of cellular buffering. As mentioned above, the cellular entry or exit of potassium ion is associated with the movement of hydrogen ion in an opposite direction. Thus, alkalosis can cause hypokalemia, and primary hypokalemia (see Chapter 22) may lead to alkalosis. Finally severe metabolic alkalosis may also occur as a result of the massive loss of hydrogen ion from the stomach in severe vomiting, or as a result of nasogastric suction after surgery. Rarely, it occurs when too much bicarbonate is given intravenously, for instance, during resuscitation after cardiac arrest.
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