If a patient’s condition goes uncompensated, which intervention is indicated?

If a patient’s condition goes uncompensated, which intervention is indicated?

• A. Administer bicarbonate supplementation
• B. Administer Acetazolamide
• C. Respiratory Acidosis will succeed the condition
• D. Respiratory Alkalosis will succeed the condition

Answer: (B)

When a disturbance is uncompensated, the body has not yet balanced pH with the opposing system, so the corrective strategy is to promote that compensatory process. For an uncompensated respiratory alkalosis (low CO2, high pH), the kidneys can help by generating a metabolic acidosis to bring pH back toward normal. Administering acetazolamide achieves this by inhibiting carbonic anhydrase, which reduces bicarbonate reabsorption in the proximal tubule and increases bicarbonate loss in the urine. The result is a mild metabolic acidosis that counteracts the alkalosis and moves the situation toward equilibrium. Giving bicarbonate would push pH higher and worsen the alkalosis, so it’s not appropriate here. The statements about respiratory acidosis or alkalosis “succeeding” the condition aren’t interventions themselves and don’t address the need to compensate for the alkalosis.

When a disturbance is uncompensated, the body has not yet balanced pH with the opposing system, so the corrective strategy is to promote that compensatory process. For an uncompensated respiratory alkalosis (low CO2, high pH), the kidneys can help by generating a metabolic acidosis to bring pH back toward normal. Administering acetazolamide achieves this by inhibiting carbonic anhydrase, which reduces bicarbonate reabsorption in the proximal tubule and increases bicarbonate loss in the urine. The result is a mild metabolic acidosis that counteracts the alkalosis and moves the situation toward equilibrium.

Giving bicarbonate would push pH higher and worsen the alkalosis, so it’s not appropriate here. The statements about respiratory acidosis or alkalosis “succeeding” the condition aren’t interventions themselves and don’t address the need to compensate for the alkalosis.