A Patient Presents to the Emergency Department Demonstrating Agitation and Complaining

question 31

Multiple Choice

A patient presents to the emergency department demonstrating agitation and complaining of numbness and tingling in his fingers.His arterial blood gas levels reveal the following: pH 7.51,PaCO₂ 25,HCO₃ 25.The nurse interprets these blood gas values as:

• A) compensated metabolic alkalosis.
• B) normal values.
• C) uncompensated respiratory acidosis.
• D) uncompensated respiratory alkalosis.

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Definitions:

Thallium Poisoning

A toxic condition resulting from exposure to thallium, a heavy metal that can lead to severe health issues like hair loss, neurological damage, and even death.

Ionic Compound

Ions combined through the strength of electrostatic attractions to form a chemical compound, in a process called ionic bonding.

Sodium

A soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and an essential element in animal nutrition, symbolized as Na.

Nitrogen

A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that constitutes about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere; it is a critical element in the makeup of amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.