The arterial blood gas results of pH 7.32, PaCO2 60 mmHg. HCO3 26 mEq/L align with which acid-base imbalance?
Respiratory acidosis
Metabolic alkalosis
Respiratory alkalosis
Metabolic acidosis
The Correct Answer is A
A. Respiratory acidosis: The ABG shows a low pH (acidemia) with an elevated PaCO2, indicating that CO2 retention is causing the acidic state. The bicarbonate is slightly elevated, suggesting early renal compensation. This pattern is characteristic of respiratory acidosis, often caused by hypoventilation or impaired gas exchange.
B. Metabolic alkalosis: Metabolic alkalosis is characterized by elevated pH and elevated HCO3. In this ABG, the pH is low, and HCO3 is only mildly elevated, so this does not fit metabolic alkalosis.
C. Respiratory alkalosis: Respiratory alkalosis presents with a high pH and low PaCO2 due to excessive CO2 exhalation, such as with hyperventilation. The ABG values here show the opposite pattern.
D. Metabolic acidosis: Metabolic acidosis involves low pH with low HCO3, often due to acid accumulation or bicarbonate loss. In this ABG, HCO3 is normal to slightly elevated, making metabolic acidosis unlikely.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Weight loss:Weight loss can occur in hepatitis B due to decreased appetite and metabolic changes. While concerning for overall nutrition and health, it is a gradual symptom and not immediately life-threatening.
B. Anorexia:Anorexia is a common early symptom of hepatitis B caused by liver inflammation. It can contribute to malnutrition but is generally not an acute indicator of severe or emergent complications.
C. Confusion:Confusion may indicate hepatic encephalopathy, a serious complication of liver dysfunction where toxins like ammonia accumulate and impair brain function. This is a medical emergency requiring prompt assessment and intervention to prevent progression to coma.
D. Fever:Fever reflects the body’s inflammatory response to infection and is common in viral hepatitis. While it requires monitoring, it is not as immediately concerning as neurological changes like confusion.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. The heart stops working to pump blood to the body:Cardiac arrest may occur as a complication of a myocardial infarction, but it does not precede the event. Before an MI, the heart continues to pump, although its tissue may be ischemic.
B. The blood is too thin:Thin blood, or decreased viscosity, is not a typical precursor to myocardial infarction. MI is primarily caused by blockage of coronary arteries, not changes in blood thickness.
C. The hemoglobin count is low:Low hemoglobin can reduce oxygen delivery to tissues but is not the direct cause of a myocardial infarction. An MI results from sudden obstruction of blood flow rather than anemia.
D. The blood supply to the heart is suddenly cut off:A myocardial infarction occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked, often due to plaque rupture and thrombosis, resulting in sudden cessation of oxygen-rich blood to a portion of the heart muscle. This ischemia triggers myocardial cell injury and death, which defines the infarction.
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