ITE Nephrology Practice Test

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Which condition is a cause of normal anion gap metabolic acidosis?
Correct Answer:
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Explanation:
Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis happens when bicarbonate is lost or retained with a compensatory rise in chloride, so the measured anion gap stays within the normal range. A classic example is bicarbonate loss through the gastrointestinal tract, such as from diarrhea, where stool bicarbonate is excreted and chloride increases to maintain electroneutrality, producing a hyperchloremic, normal-gap acidosis. The other conditions listed raise the anion gap because they introduce extra unmeasured anions into the blood: lactate in lactic acidosis, ketone bodies in diabetic ketoacidosis, and various retained acids in uremia. Therefore, diarrhea is the cause that results in normal anion gap metabolic acidosis.

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