Question

A client comes to the emergency department with status asthmaticus. Based on the documentation note shown, the nurse suspects that the client has what abnormality?

a. respiratory alkalosis
b. respiratory acidosis
c. metabolic alkalosis
d. metabolic acidosis

Answer 1

The client is experiencing respiratory acidosis with compensatory mechanisms attempting to correct the pH imbalance. This is due to status asthmaticus causing impaired gas exchange and leading to retained CO2 and increased carbonic acid.

Step-by-step explanation:

The client in question has abnormal laboratory results that include a pH of 7.31, indicating acidosis, pCO2 higher than normal, and total HCO3 also higher than normal. The increased pCO2 typically reflects a respiratory cause, as it is a direct measure of carbon dioxide retention, which could occur in situations where there is an impairment in respiratory function. In this case, it's due to the status asthmaticus, a severe asthma condition that has led to this respiratory impairment.

Given the data, we can deduce that the client is suffering from respiratory acidosis. The elevated HCO3 level suggests that the kidneys are attempting to compensate by retaining bicarbonate to counteract the increased acidity, indicating compensation is occurring. Asthma exacerbation contributes to this lab result by causing airway constriction and impaired gas exchange, leading to CO2 retention and an increase in carbonic acid in the blood.