The general aim of this handbook is to present a practical approach to the analysis of acid-base problems in the clinical setting with the goal of enabling the clinician to create an acid-base differential diagnosis. The content of the handbook was developed from courses given to medical students, residents, and renal fellows at UCLA. The handbook begins with a review of the concepts required to generate an acid-base differential diagnosis. In the initial chapter, the modified Henderson equation is emphasized. This equation will help the clinician acquire an intuitive understanding of the physiologic interrelationships underlying the pathogenesis of acid-base disorders. The initial chapter also discusses each of the four cardinal acid-base disorders in depth. The goal of this chapter is to introduce the clinician to the essential concepts, which are required to understand acid-base problems. The focus of subsequent chapters is on the approach to interpreting simple and mixed acid-base disorders. Each case is analyzed thoroughly followed by a series of teaching points. Initially, simple acid-base diagnoses are discussed in detail. Mixed acid-base disorders are then thoroughly analyzed. A series of short cases is then presented to help consolidate the concepts learned in the previous chapters. In the final chapter, the interested reader will confront many of the complexities and limitations of current acid-base diagnosis.
Dr. Kurtz is currently Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Factor Chair in Molecular Nephrology at UCLA. He is a professor of Medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Kurtz received his medical training and residency training at the University of Toronto. He completed his Nephrology fellowship at UCSF and a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH. Dr. Kurtz has been on faculty at UCLA since 1985.