Recovery from profound acidosis (pH 6.685) in multi-organ dysfunction syndrome

Davies, Eryl A
Saleh, Christopher
Bannard-Smith, Jonathan

Critical Care Unit, 105551Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

Eryl A Davies, Critical Care Unit, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK. Email: [email protected]

Journal of the Intensive Care Society 22(1):p 78-82, February 2021. | DOI: 10.1177/1751143719870102

Acidosis is a common feature of patients referred to critical care from the emergency department. We present the case of a 49-year-old female with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and an arterial pH of 6.685 on arrival to the emergency department. This case is unique as the patient was in circulatory shock with MODS from rhabdomyolysis on arrival and had not suffered a cardiac arrest. We believe this to be the first reported case of full recovery from such an extreme metabolic disturbance in this context, and discuss the relevance of profound acidosis to early clinical decision-making.