A 2-year-old child was brought into the emergency department after ingesting several morphine tablets from a bottle in his mother's purse.The nurse knows that the child is at greatest risk for which acid-base imbalance?
A) Respiratory acidosis
B) Respiratory alkalosis
C) Metabolic acidosis
D) Metabolic alkalosis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Morphine overdose can cause respiratory depression and hypoventilation.Hypoventilation results in retention of CO₂ and respiratory acidosis.Respiratory alkalosis would result from hyperventilation,causing a decrease in CO₂ levels.Metabolic acid-base imbalance would be a result of kidney dysfunction,vomiting,diarrhea,or other conditions that affect metabolic acids.

A 2-Year-Old Child Was Brought into the Emergency Department After