ABSTRACT
Another way to tackle acid-base problems is to look at the Flenley Acid-Base normogram which depicts the likely metabolic abnormality given the pH and the arterial PCO2:
Note the non-linear relationship of metabolic acidosis and alkalosis, in contrast with the linear relationship of the respiratory based acid-base abnormality. This is because ventilation is limited at both ends of the spectrum – too low and you risk hypoxia, too high and you cannot inhale a sufficient tidal volume for meaningful gas exchange!
