[azk86314]

My step daugther in law just e-mail us.Telling us that they took our grand daugther for some tests.Test came back saying her bi carb was very low it was 11.So her dr told her go take the test again.Well this time is came back 19 witch dr said it was still low for a baby.So now they have 2 take her 2 see a Nephrolist.Our grand daughter mom when she was little had 1 of her kidneys taken out.Does this mean our grand daugther mit have same thing her mom had? Baby's dr didn't explain what this bi carb was.Does anyone know can tell me what this means? Well check bk in a few if anyone is out there ty Kay

[angieskidney]

It is good that you are being proactive in finding answers. It is hard to know what is wrong based on that little information but make sure you stay on top of things and find out what the next results are.

For what bicarb is here is information for you (no links because this forum doesn't allow links or contact info sorry)

When bicarbonate levels are higher or lower than normal, it suggests that your body is having trouble maintaining its acid-base balance or that you have upset your electrolyte balance, perhaps by losing or retaining fluid. Both of these imbalances may be due to a wide range of dysfunctions.

Some of the causes of a low bicarbonate level include:

* Addison’s disease
* Chronic diarrhea
* Diabetic ketoacidosis
* Metabolic acidosis
* Kidney disease
* Ethylene glycol or methanol poisoning
* Salicylate (aspirin) overdose

Increased levels may be due to:

* Severe vomiting
* Lung diseases
* Cushing’s syndrome
* Conn’s syndrome
* Metabolic alkalosis



NOTE: The result of your CO2 test is measured by your doctor against a reference range for the test to determine whether the result is “normal” (it is within the range of numbers), high (it is above the high end of the range), or low (it is below the low end of the range). Because there can be many variables that affect the determination of the reference range, the reference range for this test is specific to the lab where your test sample is analyzed. For this reason, the lab is required to report your results with an accompanying reference range. Typically, your doctor will have sufficient familiarity with the lab and your medical history to interpret the results appropriately.

While there is no such thing as a “standard” reference range for CO2, most labs will report a similar, though maybe not exactly the same, set of numbers as that included in medical textbooks or found elsewhere online. For this reason, we recommend that you talk with your doctor about your lab results. For general guidance only, we are providing the reference range for this test from the classic medical text, Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics.