NURS 3366 EXAM SCRIPT UPDATED QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔hypopolarized states - ✔✔situations in which membranes have been reset to a more
positive number than normal, shortening the polar gap status and making them more
sensitive
✔✔states where cells become hypopolarized - ✔✔hyperkalemia, hypernatremia,
hypocalcemia
✔✔hypocalcemia causes - ✔✔more Na+ to go into cells so that cells have abnormally
more cations inside them, hypo polarized
✔✔S&S of hypopolarization - ✔✔muscles that are too sensitive, hyperactive, irritable,
contact with smaller than normal stimulation often resulting in muscle tics or spasms,
Chvostek's sign
✔✔hyper polarized states - ✔✔situations in which membranes of cells have been reset
to a less positive number than normal, lengthening the polar gap and making them less
sensitive
✔✔states when cells become hyperpolarized - ✔✔hypokalemia, hyponatremia,
hypercalcemia
✔✔S&S of hyperpolarization - ✔✔muscles that are less sensitive than usaul,
hypoactive, they contract more slowly, fatigue, lethargy, mental slowness
✔✔normal aerial blood gas levels - ✔✔pH: 7.35 - 7.45
HCO3: 22-26
pCO2: 35-45
PO2: 80-100
SaO2: 97% - 100%
✔✔acidosis - ✔✔pH is <7.35
✔✔S&S of acidosis - ✔✔headache, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain,
cramps, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, shock, organ failure, death
✔✔metabolic acidosis is caused by - ✔✔excess accumulation of H+, not enough
excretion of H+ in the urine, not enough HCO3 being made, too much HCO3 being
excreted in the urine
, ✔✔the compensatory systems for metabolic acidosis - ✔✔the lungs will increase the
amount of CO2 exhaled by increasing the rat and depth of respirations, pH will be
increased back to normal
✔✔respiratory acidosis - ✔✔state of low pH caused by ventilation problem such as
diminished effectiveness of breathing or decreased repertory rate, the retention of CO2
✔✔the compensatory system for respiratory acidosis - ✔✔HCO3 production by the
kidneys will be increased to buffer the situation, to counteract the acid (CO2) that has
accumulated from poor ventilation
✔✔alkalosis - ✔✔pH >7.45
✔✔metabolic alkalosis causes - ✔✔excess accumulation of HCO3 in the body, not
enough excretion of HCO3 in the urine, too much acid being excreted, not enough acid
being made
large amount of vomiting, over ingestion of bicarbonate
✔✔compensatory system for metabolic alkalosis - ✔✔the lungs will decrease the rate
and depth of respirations
✔✔respiratory alkalosis causes - ✔✔state of high pH from hyperventilation that causes
there to be less CO2 in the blood
✔✔compensatory system for respiratory alkalosis - ✔✔kidneys decrease the amount of
HCO3 made and increase its secretion
✔✔osmolality - ✔✔how concentrated a compartment is
✔✔tonicity - ✔✔interchangeable with the term salinity
✔✔normal blood tonicity - ✔✔0.9%
✔✔osmotic pressure - ✔✔the pressure exerted by all solutes in a compartment, it
correlates with osmolality, the higher the osmolality, the higher the osmotic pressure
✔✔oncotic pressure - ✔✔exact same as osmotic pressure but refers to protein
molecules
✔✔higher osmolality - ✔✔pulls in water
✔✔increased blood osmolality is pathologic water - ✔✔loss
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔hypopolarized states - ✔✔situations in which membranes have been reset to a more
positive number than normal, shortening the polar gap status and making them more
sensitive
✔✔states where cells become hypopolarized - ✔✔hyperkalemia, hypernatremia,
hypocalcemia
✔✔hypocalcemia causes - ✔✔more Na+ to go into cells so that cells have abnormally
more cations inside them, hypo polarized
✔✔S&S of hypopolarization - ✔✔muscles that are too sensitive, hyperactive, irritable,
contact with smaller than normal stimulation often resulting in muscle tics or spasms,
Chvostek's sign
✔✔hyper polarized states - ✔✔situations in which membranes of cells have been reset
to a less positive number than normal, lengthening the polar gap and making them less
sensitive
✔✔states when cells become hyperpolarized - ✔✔hypokalemia, hyponatremia,
hypercalcemia
✔✔S&S of hyperpolarization - ✔✔muscles that are less sensitive than usaul,
hypoactive, they contract more slowly, fatigue, lethargy, mental slowness
✔✔normal aerial blood gas levels - ✔✔pH: 7.35 - 7.45
HCO3: 22-26
pCO2: 35-45
PO2: 80-100
SaO2: 97% - 100%
✔✔acidosis - ✔✔pH is <7.35
✔✔S&S of acidosis - ✔✔headache, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain,
cramps, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, shock, organ failure, death
✔✔metabolic acidosis is caused by - ✔✔excess accumulation of H+, not enough
excretion of H+ in the urine, not enough HCO3 being made, too much HCO3 being
excreted in the urine
, ✔✔the compensatory systems for metabolic acidosis - ✔✔the lungs will increase the
amount of CO2 exhaled by increasing the rat and depth of respirations, pH will be
increased back to normal
✔✔respiratory acidosis - ✔✔state of low pH caused by ventilation problem such as
diminished effectiveness of breathing or decreased repertory rate, the retention of CO2
✔✔the compensatory system for respiratory acidosis - ✔✔HCO3 production by the
kidneys will be increased to buffer the situation, to counteract the acid (CO2) that has
accumulated from poor ventilation
✔✔alkalosis - ✔✔pH >7.45
✔✔metabolic alkalosis causes - ✔✔excess accumulation of HCO3 in the body, not
enough excretion of HCO3 in the urine, too much acid being excreted, not enough acid
being made
large amount of vomiting, over ingestion of bicarbonate
✔✔compensatory system for metabolic alkalosis - ✔✔the lungs will decrease the rate
and depth of respirations
✔✔respiratory alkalosis causes - ✔✔state of high pH from hyperventilation that causes
there to be less CO2 in the blood
✔✔compensatory system for respiratory alkalosis - ✔✔kidneys decrease the amount of
HCO3 made and increase its secretion
✔✔osmolality - ✔✔how concentrated a compartment is
✔✔tonicity - ✔✔interchangeable with the term salinity
✔✔normal blood tonicity - ✔✔0.9%
✔✔osmotic pressure - ✔✔the pressure exerted by all solutes in a compartment, it
correlates with osmolality, the higher the osmolality, the higher the osmotic pressure
✔✔oncotic pressure - ✔✔exact same as osmotic pressure but refers to protein
molecules
✔✔higher osmolality - ✔✔pulls in water
✔✔increased blood osmolality is pathologic water - ✔✔loss
