1. 1) pH 7.63, PCO2 19mm Hg, HCO3 19.5 mEq/L
This is a state of alkalosis (Grogono, 2005). The low PCO2 is compensating for respiratory alkalosis. It could be caused by kidney failure or diabetic ketoacidosis (Alkalosis, 2006).
2) pH 7.22, PCO2 30 mmHg, HCO3 12.0 mEq/L
This is a state of acidosis (Grogono, 2005). The low PCO2 is compensating for metabolic acidosis (Acidosis, 2005). The cause could be anxiety and tension or the ingestion of aspirin.
2. The amount of water and salts in the body is controlled by processes of osmoregulation (Purchon, 2000). The hypothalamus detects changes in the levels of water in the blood and if the level is too low, it signals the pituitary to release anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). ADH works on the kidneys, inducing them to reabsorb more water. As the blood becomes less concentrated, a negative feedback loop acts on the hypothalamus, signaling that the blood volume is correct, and it turns off the signal to the pituitary, turning off the release of ADH. The blood then returns to its correct osmotic concentration.
As well as signaling the production of ADH, the hypothalamus signals the feeling of thirst, causing the individual to drink (Purchon, 2000). Thirst is important for maintaining body fluid homeostasis and may be brought on by deficits in either intracellular or extracellular fluid volume (McKinley and Johnson, 2004). Thirst is the subjective drive to drink fluids, and may arise because of a regulatory response to a reduction in the fluid content of various body compartments, or habitual, cultural or psychogenic drives. It may also be due to hypertonicity of the extracellular fluid or release of the dipsogenic hormones.
When the body loses fluid, it usually comes from the intracellular and extracellular compartments (McKinley and Johnson, 2004). Water loss is greater if NaCl is also lost. Loss of fluid may result from vomiting or diarrhea. The release of...