FPGEE for National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Practice Exam 2026 - Free NABP Practice Questions and Study Guide

Ketoacidosis primarily leads to acidification of the blood due to the accumulation of ketone bodies, which are produced during the breakdown of fats when carbohydrate availability is low. In conditions such as diabetes mellitus, particularly type 1 diabetes, insulin deficiency prevents glucose from entering cells for energy production, prompting the body to metabolize fatty acids instead. The resultant increase in acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate lowers blood pH, leading to a state known as metabolic acidosis. This decrease in pH is what characterizes ketoacidosis, showcasing its effect on the acid-base balance of the blood.

The other options, while relevant to different aspects of metabolic or respiratory conditions, do not accurately reflect the primary consequence of ketoacidosis. Alkalinization would imply an increase in pH, which contradicts the acidifying effects of the ketones. Increased blood glucose levels are a secondary effect associated with the underlying insulin deficiency, but they do not directly represent the primary action of ketoacidosis itself. Decreased blood oxygen levels can occur in various respiratory or circulatory disturbances, but they are not a direct effect of metabolic acidosis caused by ketoacidosis.