A patient who was involved in a motor vehicle crash has had…
A patient who was involved in a motor vehicle crash has had a tracheostomy placed to allow for continued mechanical ventilation. How should the nurse interpret the following arterial blood gas results: pH 7.48, PaCO2 32 mm Hg, PaO2 85 mm Hg, HCO3 17 mEq/L? Normal: pH (7.35 – 7.45), pCO2 (35 – 45), pO2 (80 – 100), HCO3 (22 – 26)