FCCN Level 1 Exam 2026 Question and
Answer | 100% Verified Answers | A+
Verified
• PaO2 definition and value -✓✓Partial pressure of oxygen in the blood,
normal value is 70 to 100.
• SaO2 definition and value -✓✓Oxygen saturation, the amount of
oxygen carried by the red blood cells, normal value is 92% to 100%
• pH definition and value -✓✓Overall reflection of acid-base balance in
the body, normal value is 7.35 to 7.45.
• PaCO2 definition and value -✓✓Acid by-product of cell metabolism
that drives and reflects ventilation, normal value is 35 to 45.
• HCO3 definition and value -✓✓Base that assists in removing excess
acids, normal value is 22 to 26.
• What are the indications to draw an ABG? -✓✓- somnolence or
change in level of consciousness
- respiratory decompensation
- metabolic imbalances
- evaluation of changes to respiratory status or monitoring ventilator
settings
• What are the lab values indicating acidosis? -✓✓- pH less than 7.35
- PaCO2 greater than 45
- HCO3 less than 22
• What are the lab values indicating alkalosis? -✓✓- pH greater than
7.45
,- PaCO2 less than 35
- HCO3 greater than 26
• What values indicate hypoxemia? -✓✓- PaO2 of less than 70
- SaO2 of less than 92%
• What value indicates excessive oxygen therapy? -✓✓PaO2 greater
than 100
• What is compensation? -✓✓The body tries to return pH to normal
when CO2 or HCO3 levels cause an imbalance
• What lab value shows full compensation? -✓✓A normal pH
• What indicates partial compensation? -✓✓When the pH is not fully
normalized
• How do we decide what type of imbalance it is if the body is fully
compensated? -✓✓Decide if the pH value is closer to the acidotic or
alkalotic value
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of respiratory acidosis -✓✓- caused
by retaining CO2 from hypoventilation
- presents as a headache, tachycardia, confusion, or restlessness
- treated by improving ventilation
• How does the body compensate for respiratory acidosis? -✓✓The
kidneys work slowly to retain HCO3
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of respiratory alkalosis -✓✓-
caused by blowing off too much CO2 during hyperventilation
- presents as headache, tachycardia, confusion, or restlessness
,- treated by decreasing tidal volume, relieving anxiety, controlling pain,
and correcting hypoxia
• How does the body compensate for respiratory alkalosis? -✓✓The
kidneys work slowly to excrete HCO3
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of metabolic acidosis -✓✓- caused
by abnormal metabolism, increased acid retention, and decreased HCO3
- presents as Kussmaul respirations, tachycardia, headache, weakness,
nausea/vomiting, or abdominal pain
- treated by correcting renal failure, HCO3 replacement, control
diarrhea, and improving perfusion
• How does the body compensate for metabolic acidosis? -✓✓The lungs
work quickly to blow of excess CO2 with hyperventilation
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of metabolic alkalosis -✓✓- caused
by losing acid by vomiting or NG suction, K+ or Cl- loss resulting in
retaining bases, and increased HCO3
- presents as confusion, muscle cramps, or shallow respirations
- treated by restoring fluids and electrolytes and limiting alkaline intake
• How does the body compensate for metabolic alkalosis? -✓✓The
lungs work to hold onto CO2 by causing hypoventilation
• What are the consequences of a low pH? -✓✓Cardiac contractions
decrease and so does the vascular response to catecholamines and drugs
in the body
• What are the consequences of a high pH? -✓✓Impairs the oxygenation
of tissues and neuromuscular function
• What conditions cause respiratory alkalosis? -✓✓- anxiety attacks
, - use of stimulants
- high levels of pain
- iatrogenic causes
- hypoxemia
- fever
- sepsis
- salicylate poisoning
- pregnancy
- pulmonary edema
- pulmonary vascular disease
• What conditions cause metabolic acidosis? -✓✓- DKA
- starvation
- shock
- lactic acidosis
- renal failure
- salicylate toxicity
- diarrhea
- pancreatic or intestinal fistula
- Cl- retention from TPN
• What conditions cause respiratory acidosis? -✓✓- CNS depression
- analgesics and sedatives
- pneumonia
- COPD
- neuromuscular disease
- pneumothorax
- pulmonary embolism
- obesity
- kyphoscoliosis
• What are the steps to interpreting ABGs? -✓✓1. look at the pH value
2. check the PaCO2
3. check the HCO3
Answer | 100% Verified Answers | A+
Verified
• PaO2 definition and value -✓✓Partial pressure of oxygen in the blood,
normal value is 70 to 100.
• SaO2 definition and value -✓✓Oxygen saturation, the amount of
oxygen carried by the red blood cells, normal value is 92% to 100%
• pH definition and value -✓✓Overall reflection of acid-base balance in
the body, normal value is 7.35 to 7.45.
• PaCO2 definition and value -✓✓Acid by-product of cell metabolism
that drives and reflects ventilation, normal value is 35 to 45.
• HCO3 definition and value -✓✓Base that assists in removing excess
acids, normal value is 22 to 26.
• What are the indications to draw an ABG? -✓✓- somnolence or
change in level of consciousness
- respiratory decompensation
- metabolic imbalances
- evaluation of changes to respiratory status or monitoring ventilator
settings
• What are the lab values indicating acidosis? -✓✓- pH less than 7.35
- PaCO2 greater than 45
- HCO3 less than 22
• What are the lab values indicating alkalosis? -✓✓- pH greater than
7.45
,- PaCO2 less than 35
- HCO3 greater than 26
• What values indicate hypoxemia? -✓✓- PaO2 of less than 70
- SaO2 of less than 92%
• What value indicates excessive oxygen therapy? -✓✓PaO2 greater
than 100
• What is compensation? -✓✓The body tries to return pH to normal
when CO2 or HCO3 levels cause an imbalance
• What lab value shows full compensation? -✓✓A normal pH
• What indicates partial compensation? -✓✓When the pH is not fully
normalized
• How do we decide what type of imbalance it is if the body is fully
compensated? -✓✓Decide if the pH value is closer to the acidotic or
alkalotic value
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of respiratory acidosis -✓✓- caused
by retaining CO2 from hypoventilation
- presents as a headache, tachycardia, confusion, or restlessness
- treated by improving ventilation
• How does the body compensate for respiratory acidosis? -✓✓The
kidneys work slowly to retain HCO3
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of respiratory alkalosis -✓✓-
caused by blowing off too much CO2 during hyperventilation
- presents as headache, tachycardia, confusion, or restlessness
,- treated by decreasing tidal volume, relieving anxiety, controlling pain,
and correcting hypoxia
• How does the body compensate for respiratory alkalosis? -✓✓The
kidneys work slowly to excrete HCO3
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of metabolic acidosis -✓✓- caused
by abnormal metabolism, increased acid retention, and decreased HCO3
- presents as Kussmaul respirations, tachycardia, headache, weakness,
nausea/vomiting, or abdominal pain
- treated by correcting renal failure, HCO3 replacement, control
diarrhea, and improving perfusion
• How does the body compensate for metabolic acidosis? -✓✓The lungs
work quickly to blow of excess CO2 with hyperventilation
• Causes, assessment, and treatment of metabolic alkalosis -✓✓- caused
by losing acid by vomiting or NG suction, K+ or Cl- loss resulting in
retaining bases, and increased HCO3
- presents as confusion, muscle cramps, or shallow respirations
- treated by restoring fluids and electrolytes and limiting alkaline intake
• How does the body compensate for metabolic alkalosis? -✓✓The
lungs work to hold onto CO2 by causing hypoventilation
• What are the consequences of a low pH? -✓✓Cardiac contractions
decrease and so does the vascular response to catecholamines and drugs
in the body
• What are the consequences of a high pH? -✓✓Impairs the oxygenation
of tissues and neuromuscular function
• What conditions cause respiratory alkalosis? -✓✓- anxiety attacks
, - use of stimulants
- high levels of pain
- iatrogenic causes
- hypoxemia
- fever
- sepsis
- salicylate poisoning
- pregnancy
- pulmonary edema
- pulmonary vascular disease
• What conditions cause metabolic acidosis? -✓✓- DKA
- starvation
- shock
- lactic acidosis
- renal failure
- salicylate toxicity
- diarrhea
- pancreatic or intestinal fistula
- Cl- retention from TPN
• What conditions cause respiratory acidosis? -✓✓- CNS depression
- analgesics and sedatives
- pneumonia
- COPD
- neuromuscular disease
- pneumothorax
- pulmonary embolism
- obesity
- kyphoscoliosis
• What are the steps to interpreting ABGs? -✓✓1. look at the pH value
2. check the PaCO2
3. check the HCO3
