Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) with comprehensive quizzes and multiple-choice questions. Each question is designed to enhance your knowledge and skills needed to excel in your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What causes metabolic acidosis secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis?

  1. Lactic acid

  2. Acetic acid

  3. Acetoacetate, b-hydroxybutrate

  4. Carbon dioxide

The correct answer is: Acetoacetate, b-hydroxybutrate

Metabolic acidosis secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis occurs as a result of an imbalance in the body's production of acids and bases. In particular, diabetic ketoacidosis is caused by excessive production of ketone bodies, specifically acetoacetate and b-hydroxybutyrate, which are byproducts of fat metabolism. Therefore, options A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not involve ketone body production. Lactic acid is typically produced in the presence of severe tissue hypoperfusion or hypoxia, acetic acid is produced in a condition known as acute alcohol ingestion, and carbon dioxide is typically produced during respiration. Therefore, these options are not directly related to the underlying cause of metabolic acidosis in diabetic ketoacidosis.