he has developed severe diarrhoea and has now presented to A&E
June 20th, 2018
A 24-year-old medical student has just returned from his elective in Ghana. In the last few days, he has developed severe diarrhoea and has now presented to A&E. On assessment, he is very dehydrated and tachypnoeic. An ABG is performed showing the following:
PaO2: 14.6 (11-13 kPa)
pH: 7.32 (7.35 – 7.45)
PaCO2: 4.0 (4.7-6.0 kPa)
HCO3-: 13 (22-26 mEg/L)
BE: -4 (-2 to +2)
WHAT DOES THE ABG SHOW?WHAT IS THE LIKELY DIAGNOSIS, GIVEN THE PATIENT’S HISTORY AND THE ABOVE RESULTS?