A 43-year-old woman with borderline personality disorder is brought to the emergency department after taking an undetermined number of pills. She is lethargic but arousable. She refuses to answer questions. Blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg and heart rate is 120/min and regular. Laboratory results are as follows: Which of the following best describes this patient's acid-base disturbance?

Question

A 43-year-old woman with borderline personality disorder is brought to the emergency department after taking an undetermined number of pills.  She is lethargic but arousable.  She refuses to answer questions.  Blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg and heart rate is 120/min and regular.  Laboratory results are as follows:  Which of the following best describes this patient's acid-base disturbance?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Salicylate poisoning causes mixed primary respiratory alkalosis and primary anion gap metabolic acidosis.  Mixed acid-base disturbances can be recognized by inappropriate secondary compensation for one of the primary disturbances, indicating that an additional primary disturbance must be present.

A 43-Year-Old Woman with Borderline Personality Disorder Is Brought to the Emergency