CASE STUDY: A fifteen-year-old female is rushed to the Emergency Department upon

Question

CASE STUDY:

A fifteen-year-old female is rushed to the Emergency Department upon discovery of the young girl unconscious at home. The girl is hot to the touch, has very rapid breathing and her breath has a strange smell, much like fruit. Her mother reported that the girl had been unwell for a few days, complaining of stomach pain and nausea. The patient’s blood pressure is lower than normal and she appears dehydrated. Further, her heart rate is quite low (in the range of 46bpm). Additionally, blood work shows a deficiency in electrolytes as well as an elevation in basophils. Urinalysis shows an elevation in ketone bodies. Upon closer inspection, physicians note excessive tooth wear as well as what appear to be sores in the girl’s esophagus.

Based upon these observations, physicians inquire as to the girl’s eating patterns. Mom is vague – the patient is 15 and thus not home for most of the day. At night she picks at her food and complains of extra weight and always needing to diet. However, mom does comment that in the last few months her daughter has been moody and has lost weight. The cause of the myriad of symptoms appears to be an eating disorder and the patient is quite sick with ketoacidosis as well as bradycardia.

Explanation / Answer

Homeostasis is the maintenance of internal environment. The respiratory system plays an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis. Increase in concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood is called as respiratory acidosis and decrease in concentration of carbon dioxide results in respiratory alkalosis. In order to decrease the effect of respiratory acidosis the respiratory rate increases to wash out the extra carbon dioxide and to combat respiratory alkalosis the respiratory rate decreases. In this way the respiratory system maintain the imbalance in the homeostasis. Anorexia nervosa is a eating disorder caused due to overeating and results in weight gain. The overweight caused due to anorexia nervosa can be treated by increased physical activity. Increased physical activity causes increased concentration of carbon dioxide accumulation. This carbon dioxide causes respiratory acidosis which is maintained by respiratory system by increase in respiratory rate.

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