?:definition
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Clinical chemistry reagents intended to perform qualitative and/or quantitative chemical analysis in a sample of a body fluid (typically plasma or serum) to determine the level of bicarbonate electrolyte (HCO3-), conventionally defined to include plasma bicarbonate, carbonate, and carbon dioxide (CO2) bound in plasma carbamino compounds. The level of bicarbonate dissolved in plasma ,together with the pH and the values of other gases contained in blood, is used to determine the acid-base imbalance. A high level of bicarbonate is found in metabolic alkalosis and respiratory acidosis; a low level is associated with metabolic acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, and several disorders such as diarrhea and dehydration.
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