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“Gastric juice” is secreted by the stomach and contains a high amount of HCl, wh

ID: 88881 • Letter: #

Question

“Gastric juice” is secreted by the stomach and contains a high amount of HCl, which dissociates in water for form H+ and Cl-. “Jim” is a patient with the stomach flu who vomits for several days, losing a high amount of HCl and other stomach contents for several days.

What is a possible value for Jim’s blood pH after several days of vomiting?

a) 6.00

b) 7.38

c) 7.4

d) 7.48

e) 8.00

“Gastric juice” is secreted by the stomach and contains a high amount of HCl, which dissociates in water for form H+ and Cl-. “Jim” is a patient with the stomach flu who vomits for several days, losing a high amount of HCl and other stomach contents for several days.

What is a possible value for Jim’s blood pH after several days of vomiting?

a) 6.00

b) 7.38

c) 7.4

d) 7.48

e) 8.00

Explanation / Answer

Vomiting disturbs the acid-base balance of the body, and a large number of electrolytes are lost. As most of the ions maitaining the acid level in the body are lost, the pH of the body rises in the form of metabolic alkalosis. Therefore the correct option is e. 8.00, as it sufficiently higher than the normal blood pH range of 7.35 - 7.45.