Bicarbonate Blood Test – Normal, High and Low Levels, Procedure, Results

Do you know low levels of bicarbonate can be a reason for your premature death even if you are a healthy senior citizen? Hence, it becomes necessary to undertake the bicarbonate blood test in a routine manner. Before, you go for the testing of your blood’s bicarbonate level, it is necessary for you to understand what is bicarbonate and what is the need for a bicarbonate testing.

What Is Bicarbonate And Its Importance?

Bicarbonate is an important aspect to maintain a balance in the pH levels of your body. If you want your body and organs to function normally, the pH level must range at about 7.40. It acts as a neutral zone keeping the pH level of your blood from becoming either too acidic or excessively basic. It is your lungs and kidneys that have the responsibility to balance the levels of bicarbonate, carbon dioxide and carbonic acid in the blood.

Having too much or too less of bicarbonate in your blood is not good for you. There can be several conditions as the outcome of it. Some of the health issues include kidney failure, liver dysfunction, diarrhea, anorexia and other conditions that can be life threatening. A bicarbonate blood test helps to measure the amount of carbon dioxide present in the blood.

When Should You Undertake the Bicarbonate Blood Test?

Your doctor might ask you to undergo the bicarbonate test and check the carbon dioxide levels in case you are suffering from the following conditions:

• Continuous weakness and fatigue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Long term vomiting
• Suffering from diarrhea that doesn’t seem to go away

In case, you are treated for lungs, liver, kidney or any digestive problems, you will be asked to check the bicarbonate levels in blood on a regular basis to find out whether the medicines you are consuming are showing any positive results. Moreover, it is a part of the electrolyte scan to find out the levels of chloride, sodium, and potassium in your body.

How To Perform the Bicarbonate Blood Test?

You need to give a sample of your blood. A nurse or a doctor will take your blood sample from your arm with the help of a needle. You need to tell your doctor the medications or supplements you consume as it might affect the results of the report. Hence, you must act accordingly as suggested by the doctor.

The bicarbonate test requires only the fluid in your blood and not the cells and platelets of blood. A specific amount of acid is added by a lab technician in your blood sample. This is done in order to unlock the carbon dioxide from the bicarbonate in your blood fluid. The level of bicarbonate concentration in blood is measured with the rate of the acidity transformation in the blood sample.

Some Other Tests that you Might have to Undertake along with the Bicarbonate Test

Apart from measuring the bicarbonate levels in blood, your doctor or health specialist might ask you to undertake some other tests as well. They are:

• Urine pH testing
• Analysis of arterial blood gas
• Anion gap blood scanning
• Electrolyte testing

What does the Result have to Say?

The test will measure the number of millimoles of carbon dioxide in a liter. A normal bicarbonate result ranges between 23 and 29 mmol/L. In case, your result shows a higher carbon dioxide level in the blood, the situation might point out to the following situations.

• Dehydration
• Anorexia
• Lung related diseases like a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Adrenal gland issues like Coon’s syndrome

Similarly, when the result showcases lower levels of carbon dioxide than the normal ranges, it can reflect some serious health conditions as well including:

• Diabetic ketoacidosis, which refers to the high acidic level in blood because of the lack of adequate insulin to digest the sugars.
• Kidney disease or kidney failure
• Metabolic acidosis, which refers to the condition of the human body producing excessive acid.
• Overdose of aspirin
• Ethylene glycol poisoning
• Addison’s disease, which affects the adrenal gland growth

How To Treat the Low and High Levels of Bicarbonate?

When your carbon dioxide level in the blood doesn’t fall in the normal range after screening the bicarbonate buffer system in blood, things are no doubt concerning. But, instead of getting upset, you should stick to your doctor’s suggestion as he/she will try to diagnose the underlying cause and provide with the right treatment.

For example, when you are suffering a severe case of vomiting or diarrhea. the underlying cause will be diagnosed and based on it the treatment will begin. Similarly, when you have diabetic ketoacidosis, the blood sugar problem needs to be corrected.

Which Medicines can Influence the Bicarbonate Test Results?

There are medicines that can seriously affect the bicarbonate test results. The medicines or drugs that can lower the carbon dioxide levels are:

• Tetracycline
• Triamterene
• Thiazide diuretics
• Methicillin
• Nitrofurantoin

Similarly, there are medicines that can increase the levels of carbon dioxide. They include:

• Steroids
• Barbiturates
• Fludrocortisone
• Bicarbonates
• Hydrocortisone
• Loop diuretics

Furthermore, the results of the bicarbonate blood test might get affected if you are consuming acidic fruits a few hours before the test.