You Are Working in the ED Caring for a 55-Year-Old

Multiple Choice

You are working in the ED caring for a 55-year-old female with a long history of COPD. She is more short of breath today than usual and states she has an increased cough. She has a tympanic temperature of 99.8°F. You have drawn arterial blood gases with the patient on room air and when the report comes back, it shows that the patient has a pO₂ of 52 mmHg. Which of the following is most likely?

A) You have inadvertently drawn a venous sample.
B) The patient is critically hypoxic and requires assisted ventilation.
C) This is the typical value for this patient.
D) The lab performed the test incorrectly.