28th August 2020

A seventy-year-old woman is brought to the Emergency Department by ambulance

A seventy-year-old woman is brought to the Emergency Department by ambulance. She has a known diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but is now getting increasingly breathless, dizzy, and confused. Her arterial blood gas on room air shows:

• pO₂ = 6 kPa [ref: 12-16]
• pCO₂ = 10 kPa [4.5-6.0]
• pH = 7.25 [7.35-7.45]
• Bicarbonate = 34 mmol/L [24-30]

What is the correct interpretation of this blood gas? 

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