A 61-year-old female patient with a history of COPD was admitted to the emergency department for an acute case suspected pneumonia. Her ABG results are as follows:

Let’s break this one down

Right away, you should notice that the patient’s oxygenation values are severely low. The pH is decreased and the PaCO2 is increased, which means acidosis—and in this case— respiratory failure.

In this patient’s case, the patient is in respiratory failure not only due to ventilatory issues, but also for oxygenation issues as well. In other words, her ABG results show hypercapnia (increased PaCO2) and hypoxemia (decreased PaO2), so we know that the correct answer has to be D.

The correct answer is: D. Combined hypercapnic and hypoxemic respiratory failure