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Medical Definition of Chloride shift
1. When CO2 enters the blood from the tissues, it passes into the red blood cell and is converted by carbonate dehydratase to bicarbonate (HCO3-); HCO3- ion passes out into the plasma while Cl- migrates into the red blood cell. Reverse changes occur in the lungs when CO2 is eliminated from the blood. Synonym: Hamburger's phenomenon. (05 Mar 2000)