Chemistry

Delta Ratio (Acid–Base)

Detects mixed metabolic acid–base disorders.

Education and reference only. Not a substitute for clinical judgement, local policy or product labelling. Always verify before clinical use. Values are calculated in your browser and never stored.

When to use

Use in a high-anion-gap metabolic acidosis to detect a coexisting normal-anion-gap acidosis or metabolic alkalosis.

Why use

It uncovers mixed disorders that the anion gap alone would miss.

Critical actions

Delta ratio = (measured AG − 12) / (24 − measured HCO₃). Assumes normal AG ≈12 and normal HCO₃ ≈24; adjust if your lab's normals differ. Undefined if HCO₃ = 24.

Evidence & references

  1. Standard delta-gap / delta-ratio interpretation in acid–base analysis.

Related calculators

Anion GapSerum anion gap for metabolic acidosis.Winters' FormulaExpected pCO₂ in metabolic acidosis.Calculated Serum OsmolalityEstimated osmolality from electrolytes.

Need a calculator we don't have — or a custom tool?

We build evidence-led clinical calculators, dashboards and reference tools for teams.

Request a Custom Tool ☎ +44 7448 439750
☎ Call Get a Proposal