What respiratory pattern is typically seen as compensation for metabolic acidosis in diabetic ketoacidosis?

• A. Rapid, deep breathing (Kussmaul respiration)
• B. Slow shallow breathing
• C. Normal breathing
• D. Hyperventilation with decreased tidal volume

Answer: (A)

Metabolic acidosis from diabetic ketoacidosis triggers the lungs to compensate by blowing off carbon dioxide, which helps raise the pH. The characteristic pattern is rapid, deep breathing—Kussmaul respiration—reflecting increased tidal volume and ventilation to expel CO2. This hyperventilation lowers PaCO2, shifting the acid-base balance toward less acidity and improving pH.

If breathing is slow and shallow, CO2 isn’t removed efficiently, so acidosis persists. Normal breathing wouldn’t compensate at all, and hyperventilation with decreased tidal volume wouldn’t effectively increase CO2 elimination because the depth of breaths matters for removing CO2.