Question

An elderly man comes to the ED complaining of SOB. The HCP determines that the pt has pneumonia. The pt's condition deteriorates in the ED, & he now has impending respiratory failure. What would his ABG results look like?

Answer 1

ABG results for a patient with pneumonia progressing to respiratory failure would likely indicate respiratory acidosis, with low pH, increased pCO2, and variable bicarbonate levels depending on the stage and compensation.

Step-by-step explanation:

An elderly man coming into the emergency department (ED) with shortness of breath (SOB) and being diagnosed with pneumonia, which progresses to impending respiratory failure, would likely present with certain arterial blood gas (ABG) results. In the context of respiratory failure due to pneumonia, the ABG results could show a low pH (acidosis), high pCO2 (indicative of hypoventilation), and variable HCO3- depending on the stage and whether the kidney has had time to compensate with increased bicarbonate levels. This condition would categorize as respiratory acidosis. A patient with asthma, like in the case study presented, would exhibit similar ABG changes, where the mechanism involves airway obstruction leading to hypoventilation and increased CO2 retention, triggering the response. The body, in compensation, would attempt to increase bicarbonate levels to buffer the increased acid load.