A patient who has fully compensated respiratory acidosis becomes severely hypoxic. If her lungs are not too severely compromised, what might her gases now appear to be?

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Consider a patient with a compensated respiratory acidosis who has an arterial pH of 7.38, a PaCO₂ of 58 mm Hg, and an HCO₃^- of 33 mEq/L. If this patient becomes severely hypoxic, the hypoxia may stimulate increased alveolar ventilation if lung mechanics are not too severely deranged. This would acutely lower the PaCO₂, possibly raising the pH to the alkalotic side of normal. For example, the patient's blood gas values might now be as follows: pH of 7.44, PaCO₂ of 50 mm Hg, and HCO₃^- of 33 mEq/L.

A Patient Who Has Fully Compensated Respiratory Acidosis Becomes Severely