Urinalysis and Body Fluids 6th Edition by Majorie DiLorenzo, Susan Strasinger

Exercise 56

Tests performed to detect renal tubular acidosis after administering an ammonium chloride load include all of the following except:

A. Urine ammonia

B. Arterial pH

C. Urine pH

D. Titratable acidity

Step 1 of 2

Renal tubular acidosis:

It is the case when kidney gets failure and the body starts accumulating acid, in turn, inability to form acid urine.

• The condition is caused due to disfunction of distal convoluted tubule to form ammonia or disfunction of proximal convoluted tubule to form hydrogen ions.

• To identify this inability, urine pH, urine ammonia, titratable acidity is used.

Titratable acidity:

• It is the estimation of amount of acid existing in a solution.

• To analyze the cause for renal tubular acidosis, the measurement of urine pH, urine ammonia and titratable acidity are needed.

• The test is performed after giving oral administration of ammonium chloride, then collecting urine after 2 hours of interval.

• Titration is done with the titratable acidity (free H⁺ ions) with the acidity of the specimen.

Therefore, “arterial pH” is the pH of blood passing through the artery and it is the exception in the test of renal tubular acidosis. Hence, the correct answer is option.