Diarrhea as non-anion gap metabolic acidosis

[Cundiff1080]

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This is probably a simple question, but I can't seem to find how the anion gap compensates to normal in a patient with diarrhea? Thanks!

 

[dfib slim]

What do you mean by anion gap compensation? In non-anion gap acidosis due to diarrhea, you have GI loss of bicarb but an increase in chloride anion so it balances out, so no increased gap. There is no increase in unmeasured anions as you would have in a wide gap acidosis.

 

[Cundiff1080]

Thats exactly what I was looking for actually. I knew bicarb was lost, but didn't know the chloride anion aspect. Thanks!