A 27-year-old is brought to the emergency department by paramedics following a drug overdose. The patient is obtunded. Blood gases are drawn on room air: pH 7.24 PaCO2 60 mm Hg PaO2 65 mm HgHCO3 26 mEq/L. What is the A-a gradient? 

Why are inoculated plates inverted during incubation?

A 31-year-old female with known insulin dependent diabetes mellitus presented to the ED. She is semi-conscious and is Kussmaul breathing. Her skin is dry, and her breath has a sweet, fruity smell. The room air ABG results are as follows:  pH: 7.26 PaC02: 28 HC03: 13 Pa02: 100 How would you interpret this ABG? 

A 17-year-old male presents in the ED in severe respiratory distress. The patient is well known by the hospital staff as he has a long history of asthma that has required multiple hospitalizations. He appears semi-conscious and cyanotic. Auscultation reveals bilateral wheezes. On a 2 L/min nasal cannula, here are the results of the arterial blood gas: pH: 6.97 PaC02: 103 HC03: 23 Pa02: 33 How would you interpret this ABG? 

The results of Carbohydrate Fermentation Testing using maltose with phenol red as an indicator are shown below. Which of the tubes shows the result from a bacterial species that does not produce hydrogen as a by-product of its ability to ferment maltose?

The following compounds have similar molecular masses, but vary in other physical properties. Which has the highest boiling point?

Which of the following could cause hypercapnic respiratory failure?1. Running on the treadmill 2. Opiate drug overdose3. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease4. Hypothyroidism

If a patient is receiving an Fi02 of .60 on a day when the barometric pressure is 725 mm Hg, and the PaC02 is 50 mm Hg, what is the patient’s alveolar oxygen tension (PA02)? 

Match each description with the appropriate term

What is meant by the phrase “heat-fixing a specimen” and why is it done?