The expected blood gas pattern for a patient with chronic renal failure is which of the following?

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Multiple Choice

The expected blood gas pattern for a patient with chronic renal failure is which of the following?

Explanation:
Chronic renal failure impairs the kidney’s ability to excrete acid and regenerate bicarbonate, so hydrogen ions accumulate and bicarbonate is depleted. This produces a metabolic acidosis as the primary disturbance. The expected arterial blood gas would show low pH and low HCO3-, with the respiratory system compensating by blowing off CO2 (lower PaCO2 than normal, following the pattern of metabolic acidosis). The other patterns—respiratory acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, or respiratory alkalosis—don’t fit the kidney-driven loss of acid handling and bicarbonate regeneration.

Chronic renal failure impairs the kidney’s ability to excrete acid and regenerate bicarbonate, so hydrogen ions accumulate and bicarbonate is depleted. This produces a metabolic acidosis as the primary disturbance. The expected arterial blood gas would show low pH and low HCO3-, with the respiratory system compensating by blowing off CO2 (lower PaCO2 than normal, following the pattern of metabolic acidosis). The other patterns—respiratory acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, or respiratory alkalosis—don’t fit the kidney-driven loss of acid handling and bicarbonate regeneration.

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