Remember that Uremia Alone Rarely Causes An Anion Gap to be Greater Than



Remember that Uremia Alone Rarely Causes An Anion Gap to be Greater Than


Laith R. Altaweel MD



The serum anion gap (AG) is an important tool in assessing the acid-base status of a patient and narrowing the differential diagnosis of etiologies responsible for acid-base disturbance. The anion gap is a measure of serum electrical neutrality. Total serum cations always equal serum anions. Thus, sodium + potassium + calcium + magnesium = bicarbonate + chloride + phosphate + sulfate + protein + organic acid anions. To simplify the equation, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are considered unmeasured cations (UC), and phosphate, sulfate, protein, and organic acids are considered unmeasured anions (UA). Thus, UA – UC = sodium – chloride – bicarbonate = serum anion gap. The normal range of anion gap is between 3 to 11 mEq/L, with modern techniques of measuring electrolytes. A reduction of 2.5 to 3 mEq in AG should be made for every 1-gram reduction in the serum albumin below 4.

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Jul 1, 2016 | Posted by in ANESTHESIA | Comments Off on Remember that Uremia Alone Rarely Causes An Anion Gap to be Greater Than

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