Which ABG description matches a respiratory disorder with partial metabolic compensation in the provided values?

Which ABG description matches a respiratory disorder with partial metabolic compensation in the provided values?

• A. Metabolic acidosis with respiratory compensation
• B. Metabolic alkalosis
• C. Respiratory alkalosis
• D. Respiratory acidosis with partial metabolic compensation

Answer: (D)

The main idea is to read an ABG by identifying the primary disorder and any compensation. When a respiratory problem is present, the primary abnormality is in the PaCO2. If PaCO2 is high, the pH tends to be low (acidemic), and the body may compensate with an increase in bicarbonate (HCO3-) from the kidneys. If the pH remains acidemic despite elevated HCO3-, the compensation is partial. If the pH were corrected toward normal with a correspondingly elevated HCO3-, that would indicate full (complete) compensation. So, seeing a respiratory disturbance with high PaCO2 and a low pH, plus an elevated HCO3- that has not yet fully normalized the pH, points to respiratory acidosis with partial metabolic compensation. The other patterns would show mismatched primary processes (for example, a primary metabolic problem with appropriate respiratory compensation, or a primary respiratory problem with pH fully corrected only if compensation was complete).

The main idea is to read an ABG by identifying the primary disorder and any compensation. When a respiratory problem is present, the primary abnormality is in the PaCO2. If PaCO2 is high, the pH tends to be low (acidemic), and the body may compensate with an increase in bicarbonate (HCO3-) from the kidneys. If the pH remains acidemic despite elevated HCO3-, the compensation is partial. If the pH were corrected toward normal with a correspondingly elevated HCO3-, that would indicate full (complete) compensation.

So, seeing a respiratory disturbance with high PaCO2 and a low pH, plus an elevated HCO3- that has not yet fully normalized the pH, points to respiratory acidosis with partial metabolic compensation. The other patterns would show mismatched primary processes (for example, a primary metabolic problem with appropriate respiratory compensation, or a primary respiratory problem with pH fully corrected only if compensation was complete).