A 28-year-old woman has been sick with the flu for the past week, vomiting several times every day. She is having a difficult time keeping solids and liquids down, and has become severely dehydrated. After fainting at work, she was taken to a walk-in clinic, where an IV was placed to help rehydrate her. Arterial blood was drawn first, revealing the following:
pH 7.50
pCO2 40 mm Hg
pO2 95 mm Hg
Hemoglobin - O2 saturation 97%
[HCO3-] 32 meq / liter
1. How would you classify her acid-base disturbance?
2. Why might excessive vomiting cause her acid-base disturbance?
3. How would the kidneys compensate for this acid-base disturbance?