The physician orders 500 mL of NS to infuse at 175 mL/h for a patient with vomiting. Tubing drop factor is 15 gtt/mL. Calculate the flow rate in drops per minute.

A. Diabetes mellitus: Diabetes mellitus, particularly when poorly controlled, can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a common cause of metabolic acidosis. In DKA, the body produces excessive acidic ketones due to a lack of insulin, leading to a decrease in blood pH and the development of metabolic acidosis.

B. Myasthenia gravis: Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscle weakness, but it does not directly affect the body’s acid-base balance. It is not a condition that leads to metabolic acidosis.

C. Asthma: Asthma can cause respiratory acidosis if there is significant hypoventilation or airway obstruction, but it is not a cause of metabolic acidosis. Asthma mainly affects the respiratory system, leading to a potential for CO2 retention, not metabolic acidosis.

D. Cancer: While cancer can contribute to various metabolic disturbances, it is not a direct cause of metabolic acidosis unless there are complications such as kidney failure, severe infections, or tumor lysis syndrome. Diabetes mellitus is a more common and direct cause of metabolic acidosis

A. They become acidic: Acidity is defined by a higher concentration of hydrogen ions (H+), so a decreased concentration of hydrogen ions would not lead to acidity. Acidic fluids have a higher H+ concentration, not a lower one.

B. They become alkaline: A decreased concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) leads to an increase in pH, making the fluids more alkaline. Alkaline conditions are characterized by a lower H+ concentration, resulting in a higher pH level.

C. Carbon ions are retained: Carbon ions do not directly relate to the concentration of hydrogen ions in body fluids. The primary ions involved in acid-base balance are hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions, not carbon ions.

D. Oxygen ions are released into the blood: Oxygen ions do not have a direct relationship with the concentration of hydrogen ions in the body. The release of oxygen into the blood is related to respiratory function and hemoglobin, not hydrogen ion concentration.