Author: Fraser Magee / Editor: Fraser Magee / Reviewer: John Wilson / Codes: GC1, GP9, MHC1, SLO1, SLO3Published: 20/07/2023

A 56-year-old man presents to the Emergency Department (ED) 48 hours following an alcohol binge with chest pain and dyspnoea.

He had normal observations on arrival, ECG shows no evidence of ischaemia. He becomes comfortable after administration of analgesia. Venous blood gas on presentation shows a pH of 7.31, pCO2 of 2.4, lactate of 1.3, BE -15.1 and bicarbonate of 13.1.