61-year-old man presented to ED with hypoglycemia that was difficult to correct with oral and IV dextrose. His venous blood gases showed the following.
PH = 7.30
PCO2 = 33 mmol/L
Category Archives: Lab Cases
Lab case 395 Interpretation
Question 1:
PH = 7.29 That is moderate acidaemia
PCO2 = 60 mmHg, that is high (>40). So, we have respiratory acidosis.
Next, we need to look at HCO3 to determine if it is acute or chronic respiratory acidosis.
Lab case 395
72 year old man with history of COPD presented with shortness of breath. His chest auscultation revealed bilateral wheezes.
His arterial blood gas on 40% O2 showed the following:
PH = 7.29
PCO2 = 60 mmHg
Lab case 394 Interpretation
Answers:
Question 1:
PH = 7.475, that is mild alkalaemia.
pCO2 = 24 mmHg. So, we have respiratory alkalosis.
Lab case 394
14-year-old girl, COVID day 2, presented with delirium. Her venous blood gases showed the following:
Ph = 7.475
pCO2 = 24 mmHg
Lab case 393 interepretation
PH = 7.28, that is moderate acidaemia.
PCO2 = 73 mmHg. This means we have respiratory acidosis.
Lab case 393
An alcoholic person with severe peripheral neuropathy was brought to ED with low GCS. He had multiple vomiting episodes the day before being brought to ED.
His venous blood gases showed the following:
PH = 7.28
Lab case 392 interpretation
Answers:
PH = 7.10, that is severe acidaemia.
HCO3 = 11 mmol/L, this means we have metabolic acidosis.
Next, we need to calculate the anion gap and the compensation.
Lab case 392
48-year-old alcoholic woman presented with confusion; her venous blood gases showed the following:
PH = 7.10
pCO2 = 36 mmHg
Lab case 391 interpretation
Answers:
PH = 7.579, that is severe alkalaemia
HCO3 = 45 mmol/L. So, we have metabolic alkalosis. Next, we need to calculate the expectation. For metabolic alkalosis we use the following formula: