May Liver Failure Elevate the Anion Gap?
What is the anion gap? The anion gap is a calculated value used to assist interpreting acid-base balance and identify causes of metabolic acidosis . It is based on common electrolytes measured in blood, especially sodium , chloride , and bicarbonate. Clinicians rely on it as a fast clue that there may be extra acids in the blood or that important ions are absent from the standard measurement. In simple terms, the anion gap compares the positively char