Lab case 414

50-year-old man with history of type II diabetes and colorectal cancer. He is on Metformin and other anti-diabetic medications. He has been started on new chemotherapeutic medication. He has nausea and poor oral intake. He presented with hypoglycemia. Sugar level was corrected on arrival, his venous blood gases showed the following:

PH = 7.30

pCO2 = 34.4 mmHg

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Lab case 410 interepretation

Answers:

PH = 7.56, that is moderate alkalaemia

We have low pCO2 (34 mmHg) and high HCO3 (30 mmol/L), both these values can lead to alkalosis. Most likely combined alkalosis. However, it will be easier to calculate the compensation with metabolic part (Then we don’t need to think acute vs chronic) and ultimately we will end up with the same results.

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