Question

1. A patient was hiking at high altitudes, over 15,000 feet, but then he stopped breathing and passed out. This patient was then transported to the hospital and when they ran blood tests they saw that his blood arterial pH was 7.23. My question is, what caused his blood arterial pH to become acidic?

2. This same patient (in question 1) when he was brought into the hospital after climbing to high altitudes had these vitals:105/60 mm Hg and 88 bpm. My question is, what will this patient's peripheral and central chemoreceptors sense and how would they control ventilation rate?

Answer 1

1.	The pH mentioned in question is 7.23 WHICH IS ALKALINE AND NOT ACIDIC. The answer given below is based on pH 7.23 (alkaline) The phenomenon of hyperventilation is seen at high altitude. It is due to lack of oxygen which brings about respiratory alkalosis and hypocapnia.
2.	At the higher altitude, hyperventilation occurs, which increases heart rate the aim of which is to increase supply of oxygen to the tissues. An increase in tidal volume is followed by increase in ventilation