11th November 2021

An 20-year-old female is taken to the emergency department with severe chest pain

An 20-year-old female is taken to the emergency department with severe chest pain, the sensation of pins and needles in her fingers and difficulty breathing. She takes sertraline regularly, and is able to tell you the symptoms came on when she was at a crowded supermarket.

On examination, her chest is clear however her respiratory rate is high at 35 breaths per minute. An ECG shows sinus tachycardia. Troponin markers are negative.

An arterial blood gas on room air is performed with the following findings: pH=7.50; pCO2=2.6 kPa; HCO3-=23 mmol/L; pO2=14 kPa; BE: +1. Describe the acid-base disorder and underlying cause.

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.