acid-base status question:

[GingerSue]

I thought that I understood, but now a question appears:

my manual says that the body is compensating for an imbalance if PCO2 and HCO3 are changing in the same direction.

my textbook says that if the parameter that does not match the pH is moving in the opposite direction, then the body is attempting to compensate.

I am trying to figure out an example in which the pH is 7.35, the PCO2 is 48 and HCO3 is 27

my manual says that 7.35 is acidosis (textbook says that below 7.35 is acidosis and 7.35 to 7.45 is normal)

I've been searching for some better explanations on google, but haven't yet found one that clearly explains

thanks if anyone can help

[GingerSue]

this is how I figured it too

it is to understand what compensation really means, which I understand is the work of either the kidneys to either retain or excrete HCO3 (if there is a respiratory disorder), or the work of the lungs to retain or excrete CO2 (if there is a metabolic disorder).

so when there is a chart that shows respiratory acidosis:

low pH, elevated CO2, and elevated HCO3, this is also an

indication of compensation?

if the HCO3 was instead decreasing then it would be "mixed imbalance" (instead of respiratory acidosis)?

sorry if I am confusing things.

{the answer to the eg. that I gave - is that the person's body is compensating because the pH and HCO3 are changing in the same direction - is this true? the pH is 7.35 = acidosis (normal range) and HCO3 is elevated at 27 (range given in the manual is 21 - 26 - but it is near normal). If they both could be considered normal, then they could be therefore same. But with acidosis (pH lower than normal) and elevated HCO3 (just above normal) - how are these considered to be changing in the same direction?}