bicarbonate_deficit: Bicarbonate Deficit Calculator

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

Bicarbonate Deficit Calculator

Description

Calculates the total body bicarbonate deficit in patients with metabolic acidosis. This estimate is used to guide replacement therapy with Sodium Bicarbonate. The formula relies on the apparent volume of distribution of bicarbonate (typically estimated as 40-50% of body weight).

Usage

bicarbonate_deficit(weight_kg, current_hco3, desired_hco3 = 24,
                    volume_distribution_fraction = 0.4)

Arguments

weight_kg	Numeric. Patient actual body weight in kilograms.
current_hco3	Numeric. Patient's current serum bicarbonate level (mEq/L).
desired_hco3	Numeric. The target serum bicarbonate level (mEq/L). Defaults to 24 mEq/L, though lower targets (e.g., 10-12 mEq/L) are often used in acute severe acidosis to avoid overcorrection.
volume_distribution_fraction	Numeric. The apparent volume of distribution for bicarbonate as a fraction of body weight. Defaults to 0.4 (40%). In severe acidosis, this may be higher (0.5 to 0.8).

Value

A list containing:

Bicarbonate_Deficit_mEq	The total calculated deficit in milliequivalents.
Recommended_Initial_Dose_mEq	50% of the total deficit, representing the standard safety recommendation for the first 24 hours or initial bolus.

References

Adrogué HJ, Madias NE. Management of life-threatening acid-base disorders. N Engl J Med. 1998;338(1):26-34. doi:10.1056/NEJM199801013380106

Examples

# Example 1: Severe Acidosis
# 70kg patient, current HCO3 8, target 15 (partial correction)
# Deficit = 0.4 * 70 * (15 - 8) = 196 mEq
bicarbonate_deficit(70, 8, 15)

# Example 2: Full Correction Calculation
# 80kg patient, current 12, target 24
# Deficit = 0.4 * 80 * (24 - 12) = 384 mEq
bicarbonate_deficit(80, 12, 24)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.