Okay, welcome. My name is Devine. This is episode 470 of the Devine

Intervention Podcast. Into this podcast we're going to be describing a

simplified approach to numerical acid-based problems on the USMI exams.

We're going to be describing a simplified approach to numerical acid-based problems on the US-MLE exams. Now, before I go into this, the very first

thing I'm going to say is most times if the US-MELAs are testing compensation, they will almost always discuss it from the perspective of metabolic acidosis.

About 95 plus percent of the time, if USMILAs are testing compensation, they will almost

always test it from the perspective of metabolic acidosis. The other kinds, they are compensatory formulas for those, but those are things that are largely not necessary to know for purposes of the USMLE exams.

So this podcast is going to be short, but if you strictly diligently follow

the rules I discuss here, you're going to be in very good shape. So whenever you get any acid-based problem, what is the very first thing you should

always look at? Because sometimes people struggle with, what do I look at first? The very

first thing you should look at is the pH. Ask yourself, is the pH less than 7.35 or is the pH greater than 7.45? That's your first step. If it's less than 7.45.5 that's your first step. If it's less than 7.35 the person has an acidosis.

If it's greater than 7.45 the person has an alkalosis. That's the first row you should keep at the back of your mind.

Okay. Now let's go to rule number two. Rule number two, let's focus on the acidosis side of things.

If your pH is less than 7.35, you know you have an acidosis.

Now, there are two ways you can have an acidosis. You can have an acidosis because you have excess CO2, that's a respiratory acidosis, or you have an acidosis because you have depleted bicarb.

That's low bicarb, that's a metabolic acidosis.

So literally in this step too, if we're looking at things from the acidosis side of things,

literally look at what you see in the question.

Because many people sometimes wonder divine how do I

know the primary disorder the primary disorder is dictated by following these steps

if the pH is less than 7.35, your primary disorder is for sure an acidosis.

And then in step two, just check what you get in the question,

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