Introduction
Acid-base homeostasis is crucial to the normal function
of body. If acid-base disorder (ABD) is not detected
timely, it may lead to serious or potentially fatal
conditions.1 It is natural to expect a high incidence of
ABD in critical illness. However, the actual prevalence
of ABD in emergency situation is not commonly
reported. We performed a prospective study on
critically ill patients managed in the resuscitation room
of the Emergency Department of Xinhua Hospital
(affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University) during the
period from 1st December 2008 to 31st March 2009.
The incidence, the types of ABD, and their outcomes
were analysed. The aim was to explore whether an early
diagnosis of ABD in critical illness would improve
prognosis.