Question

The nurse caring for a client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) anticipates which arterial blood gas (ABG) findings? a) pH, 7.40; PaO2, 90 mm Hg; CO2, 39 mEq/L; HCO3, 23 mEq/L b) pH, 7.32; PaO2, 85 mm Hg; CO2, 57 mEq/L; HCO3, 26 mEq/L c) pH, 7.47; PaO2, 82 mm Hg; CO2, 30 mEq/L; HCO3, 31 mEq/L d) pH, 7.31; PaO2, 95 mm Hg; CO2, 22 mEq/L; HCO3, 19 mEq/L

Answer 1

The nurse caring for a client with COPD would anticipate ABG findings of decreased pH, increased CO2, and decreased HCO3.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is b) pH, 7.32; PaO2, 85 mm Hg; CO2, 57 mEq/L; HCO3, 26 mEq/L.

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the patient experiences reduced airflow due to inflammation and damage to the lungs. This leads to an increased level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood, resulting in respiratory acidosis. In the given ABG findings, the pH is decreased (indicating acidosis) and the CO2 level is increased, which aligns with the expected ABG findings in a patient with COPD.

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