The client's arterial blood gases reveal the following results: pH 7.51, PaO2 80 mmHg. PaCO2 28 mmHg, HCO3 24 mEq/L, O2 saturation 92%. The nurse interprets this blood gas result as:

A. Respiratory alkalosis: The pH is elevated (7.51), indicating alkalosis. The PaCO2 is decreased (28 mmHg), showing that hyperventilation is causing excessive CO2 elimination, which leads to alkalosis. HCO3 is normal, meaning no metabolic compensation is present yet. This matches respiratory alkalosis. B. Metabolic alkalosis: This would show an elevated pH with elevated HCO3, but here HCO3 is normal (24 mEq/L). Therefore, metabolic alkalosis is unlikely. C. Metabolic acidosis: This would present with low pH and low HCO3. The pH is high, and HCO3 is normal, so this is incorrect. D. Respiratory acidosis: This condition is characterized by low pH and elevated PaCO2. Here, pH is high and PaCO2 is low, so respiratory acidosis is not present.