Acute Metabolic Alkalosis: Its Effect on Potassium and Acid Excretion 1

Potassium secretion was first described in 1949 (1, 2) in response to large infusions of potassium chloride. Later, Berliner, Kennedy, and Orloff (3) demonstrated an inverse relationship between potassium excretion and acid excretion defined as the sum of ammonia and titratable acid. More recently, Berliner (4) suggested that hydrogen secretion effects the reabsorption of sodium, and the latter would serve as an approximate defini- tion of acid excretion.