Sodium Bicarbonate for the Treatment of Severe Metabolic Acidosis With Moderate or Severe Acute Kidney Injury in ICU

"Patients randomly assigned to bicarbonate group will receive intravenous 4.2% sodium bicarbonate titrated from 125ml to 250ml in 30min at physician's discretion to target a pH equal or above 7.30. Bicarbonate infusion will be repeated up to 1000ml per 24h. Arterial blood gases will be repeated from 3 to 6 times during the first 24h at physician's discretion.~Bicarbonate infusion recommendations will be as follow: a central line is recommended, infusion will be slow (125-250ml in 30 min, no intravenous push), careful surveillance of metabolic alkalosis, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, kalemia, natremia and calcemia. Repeated arterial blood gases will be suggested to monitor these critically ill patients and physicians will be reinformed of the potential side effects of sodium bicarbonate infusion."