CRITICAL CARE EXAMINATION TEST 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ What is the primary disturbance in respiratory acidosis? Answer:
High pCO2
◉ What is the main cause of respiratory acidosis? Answer:
hypoventilation
◉ How does the body compensate in respiratory acidosis? Answer:
Increase renal reabsorption of bicarbonate
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH of 7.1, pCO2
28, and HCO3 of 18 Answer: Metabolic acidosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in metabolic acidosis? Answer:
decrease in serum bicarbonate
◉ How does the body compensate in metabolic acidosis? Answer:
decrease pCO2
,◉ Fill in the blanks: decrease pCO2: ___, increase pCO2: ____ Answer:
hypoventilation, hyperventilation
◉ What is the equation to calculate anion gap? Answer: Na - (Cl +
HCO3)
◉ Anion gap metabolic acidosis occurs when anion gap is _____
Answer: anion gap > 12
◉ What acronym is used to help determine causes of anion gap
metabolic acidosis? Answer: MUDPILE
◉ What does the M in MUDPILE mean? Answer: methanol
◉ what does the U in MUDPILE mean? Answer: uremia
◉ What does the D in MUDPile mean? Answer: Diabetic ketoacidosis
◉ What does the P in MUDPILE mean? Answer: propylene glycol
◉ What does the I in MUDPILE mean? Answer: isoniazid/ iron
overdose
,◉ what does the L in MUDPILE mean? Answer: lactic acidosis
◉ What does the E in MUDPILE mean? Answer: ethylene glycol
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH 7.48, pCO2
28, and HCO3 18? Answer: respiratory alkalosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in respiratory alkalosis? Answer:
Low pCO2
◉ What is the main cause of respiratory alkalosis? Answer:
hyperventilation
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH of 7.48, pCO2
50, and HCO3 29? Answer: metabolic alkalosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in metabolic alkalosis? Answer:
increase in serum bicarbonate
◉ What is the main cause of metabolic alkalosis? Answer: loss of
gastric acid
◉ Compensation: altering the component ___ ;correction: altering the
component _____ Answer: not primarily affected; primarily affected
, ◉ Which of the following is an acid? pCO2, HCO3 Answer: pCO2
◉ Which of the following is a base? pCO2, HCO3 Answer: HCO3
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pH? Answer:
7.35-7.45
◉ Acidotic or Alkalotic: pH 7.30 Answer: Acidotic
◉ Acidotic or alkalotic: pH 7.48 Answer: Alkalotic
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pCO2?
Answer: 35-45
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pO2? Answer:
80-100
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial bicarbonate?
Answer: 22-26
◉ What is the concentration of a solution expressed as the total number
of solute particles per kilogram? Answer: Osmolality
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ What is the primary disturbance in respiratory acidosis? Answer:
High pCO2
◉ What is the main cause of respiratory acidosis? Answer:
hypoventilation
◉ How does the body compensate in respiratory acidosis? Answer:
Increase renal reabsorption of bicarbonate
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH of 7.1, pCO2
28, and HCO3 of 18 Answer: Metabolic acidosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in metabolic acidosis? Answer:
decrease in serum bicarbonate
◉ How does the body compensate in metabolic acidosis? Answer:
decrease pCO2
,◉ Fill in the blanks: decrease pCO2: ___, increase pCO2: ____ Answer:
hypoventilation, hyperventilation
◉ What is the equation to calculate anion gap? Answer: Na - (Cl +
HCO3)
◉ Anion gap metabolic acidosis occurs when anion gap is _____
Answer: anion gap > 12
◉ What acronym is used to help determine causes of anion gap
metabolic acidosis? Answer: MUDPILE
◉ What does the M in MUDPILE mean? Answer: methanol
◉ what does the U in MUDPILE mean? Answer: uremia
◉ What does the D in MUDPile mean? Answer: Diabetic ketoacidosis
◉ What does the P in MUDPILE mean? Answer: propylene glycol
◉ What does the I in MUDPILE mean? Answer: isoniazid/ iron
overdose
,◉ what does the L in MUDPILE mean? Answer: lactic acidosis
◉ What does the E in MUDPILE mean? Answer: ethylene glycol
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH 7.48, pCO2
28, and HCO3 18? Answer: respiratory alkalosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in respiratory alkalosis? Answer:
Low pCO2
◉ What is the main cause of respiratory alkalosis? Answer:
hyperventilation
◉ What type of acid-base disturbance presents with a pH of 7.48, pCO2
50, and HCO3 29? Answer: metabolic alkalosis
◉ What is the primary disturbance in metabolic alkalosis? Answer:
increase in serum bicarbonate
◉ What is the main cause of metabolic alkalosis? Answer: loss of
gastric acid
◉ Compensation: altering the component ___ ;correction: altering the
component _____ Answer: not primarily affected; primarily affected
, ◉ Which of the following is an acid? pCO2, HCO3 Answer: pCO2
◉ Which of the following is a base? pCO2, HCO3 Answer: HCO3
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pH? Answer:
7.35-7.45
◉ Acidotic or Alkalotic: pH 7.30 Answer: Acidotic
◉ Acidotic or alkalotic: pH 7.48 Answer: Alkalotic
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pCO2?
Answer: 35-45
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial pO2? Answer:
80-100
◉ What is the body's normal reference range for arterial bicarbonate?
Answer: 22-26
◉ What is the concentration of a solution expressed as the total number
of solute particles per kilogram? Answer: Osmolality
