A 38-year-old woman is currently in the emergency department and has a diagnosis of an asthma attack

The most current arterial blood gas result reveals the following: pH of 7.24; PaCO2 of 55 mm Hg; and an HCO3– of 27 mEq/L. The acid-base status of this patient can be interpreted as:
a. uncompensated respiratory acidosis.
b. partially compensated respiratory acidosis.
c. partially compensated metabolic alkalosis.
d. partially compensated metabolic acidosis.


ANS: B
A pH of 7.24 indicates acidosis because it is below 7.35. The PaCO2 of 55 mm Hg is a respirato-ry acidosis because it is greater than 45 mm Hg. The arterial blood gas is partially compensated because the HCO3– of 27 mEq/L is greater than 26 mEq/L and the pH is less than 7.35.

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