Sandra, a 20-year-old college runner, is having increasing difficulty keeping up

Question

Sandra, a 20-year-old college runner, is having increasing difficulty keeping up in what used to be “easy” workouts. She sees the team physician, who takes a careful history and performs a physical examination before ordering some standard blood tests. His findings reveal that Sandra is anemic, likely from dietary iron deficiency. Her hemoglobin level (Hgb) is 11.0 grams/100 mL blood (the normal range is 12.0 - 15.5). How does the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in Sandra’s blood at the present time compare to the partial pressure in her blood a year ago, when she had a Hgb of 13.5 grams/100mL? Assume that she is otherwise healthy.

The partial pressure is about the same as it was before. The partial pressure is higher now than it was before. The partial pressure is lower now than it was before. There is insufficient information to predict the difference in partial pressure. Sandra, a 20-year-old college runner, is having increasing difficulty keeping up in what used to be “easy” workouts. She sees the team physician, who takes a careful history and performs a physical examination before ordering some standard blood tests. His findings reveal that Sandra is anemic, likely from dietary iron deficiency. Her hemoglobin level (Hgb) is 11.0 grams/100 mL blood (the normal range is 12.0 - 15.5). How does the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in Sandra’s blood at the present time compare to the partial pressure in her blood a year ago, when she had a Hgb of 13.5 grams/100mL? Assume that she is otherwise healthy.

The partial pressure is about the same as it was before. The partial pressure is higher now than it was before. The partial pressure is lower now than it was before. There is insufficient information to predict the difference in partial pressure. Sandra, a 20-year-old college runner, is having increasing difficulty keeping up in what used to be “easy” workouts. She sees the team physician, who takes a careful history and performs a physical examination before ordering some standard blood tests. His findings reveal that Sandra is anemic, likely from dietary iron deficiency. Her hemoglobin level (Hgb) is 11.0 grams/100 mL blood (the normal range is 12.0 - 15.5). How does the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in Sandra’s blood at the present time compare to the partial pressure in her blood a year ago, when she had a Hgb of 13.5 grams/100mL? Assume that she is otherwise healthy.

The partial pressure is about the same as it was before. The partial pressure is higher now than it was before. The partial pressure is lower now than it was before. There is insufficient information to predict the difference in partial pressure.

Explanation / Answer

The partial pressure is lower now than it was before.

Oxygen binds to haemoglobin for transport. With decrease in haemoglobin, the number of oxygen atoms bound to it also decreases. Hence the partial pressure of oxygen decreases in blood.

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