The nurse cares for a critically ill client with a severe acid-base imbalance. When reviewing the client's anion gap, which additional laboratory value does the nurse recognize may skew the anion gap results? A) Hemoglobin B) Albumin C) PaO₂ D) PaCO₂

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Albumin is a major unmeasured anion in the blood, and its levels can significantly affect the anion gap calculation. Low albumin levels can lead to a falsely low anion gap.

The Nurse Cares for a Critically Ill Client with a Severe