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metabolic acidosis
any of the types of acidosis resulting from accumulation in the blood of keto acids (derived from fat metabolism) at the expense of bicarbonate; this diminishes the body's ability to neutralize acids. Symptoms include weakness, malaise, and headache; as the acid level
goes up, the symptoms may progress to stupor, coma, and eventually death. Metabolic acidosis is contrasted with respiratory acidosis and occurs when there is either an acid gain (as in diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, poisoning, or failure of the renal tubules to reabsorb bicarbonate) or a bicarbonate loss (as in diarrhea or a gastrointestinal fistula).

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