Acid-Base Balance question

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

Hello,

We have just started to learn about acid-base balance in Patho (had only one class day, and now going to be tested on it on monday). My question is from a study guide paper that my professor made. The question is an acid-base balance problem:

For each of the following, decide:

1) is the person in acidosis or alkalosis?

2) is the origin respiratory or metabolic?

3) is there compensation?

pH: 7.25 (Acidosis)

PaCO2: 61 (Acidosis)

PaO2: 24 (Here is where I'm lost, I believe this is low, I found normal lab value between 75 and 100, is this right?)

So would this make it respiratory acidosis with compensation? My reasoning would be because an acidic pH and an acidic respiratory go hand-in-hand right? and since the O2 is low that means the respiratory system isn't working well enough so it needs compensation?

OR

would it be metabolic acidosis with compensation because the O2 is low so the metabolic system is working to compensate? Could someone try to explain this to me please?

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

It's respiratory acidosis because the PCO2 is high. If it was normal and the HCO3 was off, then it would be metabolic. What is your HCO3 number? That usually also helps determine especially with compensating part.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'll admit to not being an expert in acid base balance, so here's a couple of previous threads that may help you:

Acid-Base Balance

Easy way to remember ABGs?

However, the patient in the question above is not compensating. Compensating means that the pH is normal while other lab values are off. Your patient's pH in the problem above is not within the normal range and therefore not compensated.

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

The professor didn't include that, which is why I was having difficulty. Maybe they accidentally left it out, but the next problem has all four factors to use to figure out the balance.... pH (7.15), PaCO2 (30), PaO2 (normal), and HCO3 (10)...for this one I got Metabolic acidosis with compensation.

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

The professor didn't include that, which is why I was having difficulty. Maybe they accidentally left it out, but the next problem has all four factors to use to figure out the balance.... pH (7.15), PaCO2 (30), PaO2 (normal), and HCO3 (10)...for this one I got Metabolic acidosis with compensation.

This looks like metabolic acidosis partial compensation.

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

This looks like metabolic acidosis partial compensation.

The "cheat sheet" the professor gave us states this for metabolic acidosis with compensation:

pH: low but rising towards normal

HCO3: low but rising towards normal

pCO2: below normal,

so does saying partial compensation make a difference , how would I know if it is partial compensation or just compensation?

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

I don't think the pH is high enough near normal for it to have full compensation.

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

I don't think the pH is high enough near normal for it to have full compensation.

oh okay

[smf0903]

At the very basic, if the pH is normal then there has been full

compensation. If the pH is still abnormal but CO2 is high and HCO3 is high (or if both are low) then there is partial compensation.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

The HCO3 is low. 10 is low. It's partially compensated metabolic acidosis. Vanderbilt University has a great website. I needed to know your bicarb level. At a 10, that's low. The bicarb tells the story.

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

The HCO3 is low. 10 is low. It's partially compensated metabolic acidosis. Vanderbilt University has a great website. I needed to know your bicarb level. At a 10, that's low. The bicarb tells the story.

Thank You

[Samm06, BSN, RN]

Thank you to everyone else helping me understand this.