A 21-year-old woman in the emergency room is displaying rapid and deep, labored breathing. Her room ABG reveals a pH of 7.25, PaCO₂ of 28, HCO₃^- of 14 mEq/L, and a base excess of -14 mEq/L. How would the respiratory therapist assess her acid-base condition?
1) Severe hyperventilation
2) Partially compensated metabolic acidosis
3) Compensatory response to the metabolic acidosis
4) Severe hypoventilation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's ABG results indicate a low pH (acidemia), low PaCO2 (indicating hyperventilation as a compensatory mechanism), and a significantly decreased HCO3- (indicating a primary metabolic acidosis). The rapid and deep breathing is a compensatory response to the metabolic acidosis, attempting to decrease CO2 and thus increase pH towards normal. This scenario describes a partially compensated metabolic acidosis, where the body is responding but has not fully corrected the pH.

A 21-Year-Old Woman in the Emergency Room Is Displaying Rapid