Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 65%
Simulated
The nurse is caring for a client with the following arterial blood gas (ABG) results: pH 7.32, PaCO2 33 mmHg, Pa02 88 mmHg, HCO3 16 mEg/L. The nurse would Interpret these results as:
Correct answer
D
Rationale
The low pH (7.32) and low HCO3 (16 mEq/L) indicate metabolic acidosis. The low PaCO2 (33 mmHg) suggests respiratory compensation by blowing off CO2, but since the pH is still acidic, it is partially compensated.