12th November 2021

A 16-year old girl, accompanied by her parents, presents to the emergency department with weakness and tiredness

A 16-year old girl, accompanied by her parents, presents to the emergency department with weakness and tiredness. Her BMI is 17.

An arterial blood gas shows:

pH: 7.50 (7.35-7.45)
PCO2-: 5.6kPa (4.6-6.4)
HCO3-: 29 mmol/L (22-26)
pO2 11.5 kPa (11-14)
Chloride 87 mmol/L (95-108)

Describe the acid-base disorder and underlying cause.

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