Want to know:

4. A 45-year-old man is admitted with severe right lower lobe pneumonia and is placed on mechanical ventilation. On the 2nd hospital day, his hypoxemia worsens and a repeat chest radiograph shows increased opacities in both lungs. A blood gas reveals a pH of 7.47 and an arterial PO2 of 55 mm Hg while an echocardiogram demonstrates normal left ventricular function and left atrial size but significantly increased systolicpulmonary artery pressure. Which of the following factors likelyaccounts for the findings on his echocardiogram?A. Decreased alveolar PO2B. Decreased arterial PO2C. Decreased sympathetic nervous system activityD. Increased blood pHE. Increased pulmonary venous pressure

Get a detailed, AI-powered explanation for this question and thousands more on StudyFetch.