Amale client with a history of heavy alcohol use has been admitted to the hospital for malnutrition and suspected pancreatitis. the client’s diagnostic workup suggests alcoholic ketoacidosis as a component of his current health problems. he is somewhat familiar with the effect that drinking has had on his nutrition and pancreas, but is wholly unfamiliar with the significance of acid–base balance. how best could his care provider explain the concept to him?

The best answer to the question: How best could his care provider explain the concept to him, when it comes to the topic of acid-base balance and his current health conditions, would be: "Your body´s proper functioning depends on a delicate balance between the amount of acid, or absence of acid, in it. Whenever this balance of acidity and non-acidity is affected, then you start seeing your body not working as properly as it should."

Explanation:

Most people who are not engaged with the medical, or scientific, fields, are not aware that the human body is also a unit of chemical substances, elements, fluids and particles that need to be maintained in a specific balance for it to function. Electrolytes, molecules, substances and water, all play a vital role in this balance, as well as our livers, skin, lungs, cardiovascular systems, intestines and most importantly, kidneys. Diseases such as pancreatitis directly affect this delicate balance and distabilize the acid-base balance inside the body, also affecting proper functioning of our cells. But explaining this to a common person is difficult, and it needs a lot of common terms to accomplish. The words used above take that into account and explain the basic tenets of electrolye and water imbalance, as well as the acid-base balance.