A Patient Who Has Required Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation Has the Following

Multiple Choice

A patient who has required prolonged mechanical ventilation has the following arterial blood gas results: pH 7.48, PaO₂ 85 mm Hg, PaCO₂ 32 mm Hg, and HCO₃ 25 mEq/L. The nurse interprets these results as

A) metabolic acidosis.
B) metabolic alkalosis.
C) respiratory acidosis.
D) respiratory alkalosis.