Fluid & Electrolyte Q 93

---

The nurse would analyze an arterial pH of 7.46 as indicating:

  

    A. Acidosis

    B. Alkalosis

    C. Homeostasis

    D. Neutrality

    

    

Correct Answer: B. Alkalosis

---

Alkalosis is indicated by a pH above 7.45. A pH below 7.35 is an acidemia, and a pH above 7.45 is an alkalemia. Due to the importance of sustaining a pH level in the needed narrow range, the human body contains compensatory mechanisms.

---

Option A: The human body experiences four main types of acid-based disorders: metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, respiratory acidosis, and respiratory alkalosis. If one of these conditions occurs, the human body should induce a counterbalance in the form of an opposite condition.

Option C: To maintain homeostasis, the human body employs many physiological adaptations. One of these is maintaining an acid-base balance. In the absence of pathological states, the pH of the human body ranges between 7.35 to 7.45, with the average at 7.40.

Option D: Arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling, is a test often performed in an inpatient setting to assess the acid-base status of a patient. A needle is used to draw blood from an artery, often the radial and the blood is analyzed to determine parameters such as the pH, pC02, pO2, HCO3, oxygen saturation, and more.

---