A patient is diagnosed with metabolic acidosis. which compensatory response would you expect?

Answer

Respiratory compensation, where there will be an increase in the breathing rate to blow off more CO2 and reduce the blood's acidity.

Q: What is metabolic acidosis? A: Metabolic acidosis is a condition in which there is an imbalance in the body's pH levels, where the blood becomes too acidic (pH < 7.35) due to an excess of acid or a deficiency of bicarbonate in the blood.
Q: What is compensatory response? A: Compensatory response is the body's natural mechanism to regulate pH levels and maintain acid-base balance in response to acidosis or alkalosis.
Q: What is the expected compensatory response for metabolic acidosis? A: The expected compensatory response for metabolic acidosis is respiratory compensation, where there will be an increase in the breathing rate to blow off more CO2 and reduce the blood's acidity. This can be confirmed by measuring the arterial blood gases (ABG) and observing a decrease in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the blood.