Acid-base disturbances mini-lecture (1/3): hyperventilation and COPD
Channel: Remco Jongkind & Dave Speijer - Medical Education
Date: 2020-02-28

This video will cover:
1. Significance of blood pH regulation
2. Buffers systems in the body 
3. How lungs and kidneys regulate blood pH
4. Acid-base disturbances due to hyperventilation and COPD. 

Bullet point summary: 
-Physiological pH is 7.4. 
-When your pH is higher than 7.4 you have a metabolic alkalosis or respiratory alkalosis. 
-When your pH is lower than 7.4 you have a metabolic acidosis or respiratory acidosis.
-Blood pH is mainly buffered by the phosphate, hemoglobin and carbonate buffers. 
-Phosphate and hemoglobin are closed buffer systems. The constituents of the buffers are not exchanged with the environment. 
-The carbonate-bicarbonate buffer is an open buffer system. The constituents of the buffer are exchanged with the environment. This is done by the kidneys and by the lungs. 
-Davenport diagram is an often used tool to evaluate acid-base disturbances. 
-Hyperventilation causes a drop in carbondioxide levels in the blood, leading to a rise in pH. 
-COPD causes a rise in carbondioxide levels, leading to a drop in pH.