Imaging Case of the Week 570 Answer
Lab case 427
21 year old man presented to ED with fatigue and weakness. His blood gases showed the following:
PH = 7.236
PCO2 = 30 mmol/L
Lab case 426 interpretation
Answers:
PH = 7.415, this is within normal range. slightly more to the alkelaemic side.
pCO2 = 34 mmHg, that is slightly low, this patient is hyperventilating. (Normal pCO2 is 40 mmHg on arterial blood and 48 mmHg on venous blood).
hypertonic saline versus Mannitol, the unresolved question
Imaging Case of the Week 571
The following knee x-ray is from an adult with knee swelling post twisting injury. What can be seen? Continue reading
Lab case 426
60-year-old women presented to the emergency department compla ining of headache and fatigue. Her venous blood gases showed the following:
PH = 7.415
pCO2 = 34 mmHg
Lab case 425 interpretation
Question 1:
PH = 7.51, that is mild alkalaemia
PCO2 = 28, that is less than 40. So we have respiratory alkalosis.
Compensation for acute respiratory alkalosis: HCO3 drops by 2 mmol/L for every 10 mmHg decrease in pCO2 from 40mmHg. Accordingly, HCO3 should drop by (12 x 0.2) = 2.4, SO expected HCO3 is 21.6 (that is close to 23) so we have pure respiratory alkalosis.
Lab case 425
51 year old man, recently returned from the middle east, presented with shortness of breath. His CXR was normal. His arterial blood gases showed the following:
PH = 7.51
PaCO2 = 28 mmHg
PO2 = 56 mmHg
Lab case 424 interepretation
Answers:
Hb = 115 g/L, that is mild anaemia. (Remember, anaemia happens when blood cells don’t have enough haemoglobin or there is not enough red blood cells).
RCC (red cells count) = 4.3, that is just within the normal range for men, towards the low side.