Question

1. What is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the intracellular spaces of the body?

  

2. Your patient has the following lab values. Determine their imbalance: pH: 7.3; pCO2: 48; HCO3: 31.

3. Your patient has the following lab values. Determine their imbalance: pH: 7.47; pCO2: 48; HCO3: 30.

4. If the CO2 caused the acidosis or alkalosis, what type of alteration is it?

Answer 1

1. Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the intracellular spaces is known as edema or oedema. It is caused by abnormal water and electrolyte balance. This fluid accumulation is usually in the intestinal spaces. Ionic pump dysfunction and inflammation causes increase in membrane permeability, leading to increased sodium concentration in cells. Thus, water enters the cells by osmosis, leading to edema.

2. Normal pH of blood is 7.35-7.45. Normal bicarbonate values in blood are 22-28mEq/L while that of pCO2 is 35-45 mm Hg.

This patient has low pH, and high pCO2 and bicarbonate. Low pH means the blood is acidic. This is caused by an increase in CO2 levels in blood. CO2 will react with water to form H2CO3 which splits to bicarbonate and H+. The patient has respiratory acidosis.

3. The pH of blood is increased, which indicates alkalosis. Here, there is increased pCO2 and bicarbonate. This occurs in metabolic alkalosis. Due to increased pH, there is a decrease in H+ ions., which will cause an increase in bicarbonate ions. The increased pCO2 is a compensatory mechanism.

4. If CO2 is the reason for the acidosis or alkalosis, it is a respiratory alteration. This type of acidosis or alkalosis is caused by altered respiration, which leads to alterations in the buffering action of carbonic acid-bicarbonate in blood. When there is increased respiration, CO2 levels will decrease. This will reduce the pH of blood due to reduced H+ ions. Hence, bicarbonate levels will decline, and pH of blood increases. This is respiratory alkalosis. When there is less functioning of lungs, pCO2 levels will increase. This causes increase in H+ ions due to reaction of CO2 to form carbonic acid. Hence, bicarbonate levels and H ions increase, causing respiratory acidosis.