You are an emergency-room nurse caring for a trauma patient. Your patient has the following arterial blood gas results: pH 7.26, PaCO2 28, HCO3 11 mEq/L. How would you interpret these results?
A) Respiratory acidosis with no compensation
B) Metabolic alkalosis with a compensatory alkalosis
C) Metabolic acidosis with no compensation
D) Metabolic acidosis with a compensatory respiratory alkalosis
Ans: D
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A low pH indicates acidosis (normal pH is 7.35 to 7.45). The PaCO3 is also low, which causes alkalosis. The bicarbonate is low, which causes acidosis. The pH bicarbonate more closely corresponds with a decrease in pH, making the metabolic component the primary problem.
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