A client has mild acidosis but after a day has not compensated for it. Which action by the nurse is best?
a. Review the client's daily hemoglobin and hematocrit.
b. Ask the laboratory to rerun today's arterial blood gases.
c. Document the finding and notify the physician.
d. Apply 2 L of oxygen via nasal cannula.
A
Hemoglobin is part of the buffering system. Low hemoglobin affects acid-base balance by decreasing the body's ability to compensate for mild acidosis. Rerunning the specimen would take time and might require another sample. The nurse may need to notify the physician but would need more information to report, such as hemoglobin and hematocrit values. Adding 2 liters of oxygen would not help the client as much as he or she would be helped if the cause of the refractory acidosis was determined.
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