Why does hypokalemia cause alkalosis?
Hypokalemia can cause metabolic alkalosis because it leads to the intracellular movement of hydrogen ions. In hypokalemia, potassium shifts from the inside to the outside of the cell to compensate for the decreased serum potassium. As an exchange, hydrogen ions from the gastric fluid move into the cells, causing cellular alkalosis and intracellular acidosis. Additionally, due to potassium deficiency in the renal tubular epithelial cells, the potassium-sodium exchange decreases and the sodium-hydrogen exchange increases, leading to enhanced excretion of hydrogen ions and increased reabsorption of bicarbonate ions, resulting in hypokalemia-induced metabolic alkalosis, which needs to be promptly addressed clinically.
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