The nurse is reviewing the lab results of a patient in the intensive care unit and finds the patient’s lactate to be 5.4 mmol/L. Which additional value is most responsible for this value?

PaO2 42 mmHg. Lactate builds up when there is insufficient oxygen supply in the tissues. Therefore, a low PaO2 of 42 mmHg is most responsible for an elevated lactate. Although liver dysfunction can lead to hyperlactatemia, an AST of 32 u/L is normal. An elevated lactate will cause a low pH, not the reverse. An elevated creatinine is less responsible for an elevated lactate level than a low PaO2.

The nurse is reviewing the lab results of a patient in the intens...

Category: Reduction of Risk Potential
Difficulty: 9

Topics: Acid-Base Respiratory

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