Audio Qbank – Q79 – A 48F smoker

A 48-year-old woman comes to the GP because of a 4-month history of worsening shortness of breath on exertion. She has been smoking two packs of cigarettes daily for 31 years. Which of the following findings is most likely in this patient?

 

  Decreased arterial pCO2
  Decreased venous pCO2
  Decreased lactic acid production
  Increased renal retention of protons

  Increased renal retention of bicarbonate