Question

Which of the following describes the mathematical expression of anion gap?

a) (Na + K) + (Cl - HCO₃)
b) (Na - K) + (Cl - HCO₃)
c) (Na + K) X (Cl + HCO₃)
d) (Na + K) - (Cl + HCO₃)

Answer 1

The mathematical expression of anion gap is (Na + K) - (Cl + HCO₃). It measures the difference between cations and anions in a solution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mathematical expression of anion gap is represented by the equation (Na + K) - (Cl + HCO₃).

The anion gap is a measure of the difference between the cations (positively charged ions) and the anions (negatively charged ions) in a solution. In this equation, we subtract the sum of chloride (Cl) and bicarbonate (HCO₃) from the sum of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) ions. The result gives us the anion gap.

For example, if we have 140 mmol/L of Na, 4 mmol/L of K, 104 mmol/L of Cl, and 24 mmol/L of HCO₃, the calculation would be (140 + 4) - (104 + 24) = 16.