A patient presents with anxiety accompanied by numbness and tingling in the lips and fingers. What acid-base imbalance might the nurse identify based on their ABG results?

In this scenario, the symptoms of anxiety along with numbness and tingling in the lips and fingers suggest that the patient may be hyperventilating, which can lead to respiratory alkalosis. When a person hyperventilates, they expel carbon dioxide (CO2) at a rapid rate, causing a decrease in the concentration of carbonic acid in the blood. This shift results in a higher blood pH, indicating alkalosis.

The physical manifestations of respiratory alkalosis often include symptoms such as lightheadedness, tingling, and numbness due to decreased carbon dioxide levels leading to reduced cerebral blood flow and changes in calcium metabolism. Anxiety is a common trigger for episodes of hyperventilation, where the body reacts to stress with accelerated breathing.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of respiratory alkalosis provides insight into why this choice is the correct identification of the potential acid-base disturbance in this patient. The other options, while they represent different acid-base imbalances, do not align with the patient's clinical presentation of anxiety and associated symptoms.