After coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a patient is tra…

After coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a patient is transported to the surgical intensive care unit at noon and placed on mechanical ventilation. How should the nurse interpret the patient’s initial arterial blood gas levels? Parameter Patient Results Normal Reference Range pH 7.28 7.35-7.45 PaCO2 46 mmHg 35-45 mmHg PaO2 78 mmHg 80-100 HCO3 26 mEq/L 22-26 mEq/L SaO2 90% 95-100%