What are common causes of metabolic acidosis?

Metabolic acidosis is a condition characterized by a decrease in blood pH due to an accumulation of acid or a loss of bicarbonate. One of the common causes of metabolic acidosis is conditions that lead to increased hydrogen ion (H+) retention in the body, which contributes to the acidotic state.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a prime example of this. In DKA, the body produces excess ketones due to an insufficient insulin supply. Ketones are acidic compounds, and their accumulation lowers the blood pH, resulting in metabolic acidosis. Therefore, the link between H+ retention and DKA directly supports the reasoning that the accumulation of acid (in this case, from ketones) leads to metabolic acidosis.

Low H+ retention, as mentioned in one of the other options, would not contribute to acidosis; rather, it would likely lead to a more alkaline state. Similarly, hyperventilation, often seen in anxiety, leads to respiratory alkalosis, not acidosis, as it results in decreased carbon dioxide levels, which have the opposite effect on blood pH. High bicarbonate retention would also counteract acidosis by raising the pH, indicating a metabolic alkalosis rather than acidosis.

Thus