ALDOSTERONE-ALKALEMIA & POTASSIUM
SUMMARY
1. Aldosterone enhances distal sodium reabsorption by activating distal tubular Na+/H+ and Na+/K+ pumps at the expense of H+ loss (alkalosis) and K+ loss (hypokalemia).
2. This can result in "paradoxical aciduria," a low urine pH in the setting of metabolic alkalosis.
3. In alkalemia, K+ shifts from the extracellular space to the intracellular space in exchange for H+, exacerbating hypokalemia.
Reference(s)
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Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].