FCA1-0620

FCA1-0620

A 57-year old lady is admitted to the Emergency Department with signs of a subarachnoid haemorrhage. On admission, her GCS was 7. She has been intubated, sedated and is being ventilated and is waiting for a CT scan. Her Blood pressure is 140/70mmHg. The arterial blood gas analysis shows the following: pH 7.2 (7.35 – 7.45), PaO2 70 mmHg (80-100), PaCO2 78 mmHg (35-45), BE -3 mEq/L (-3 +/-3), Standard bic 27 mmol/L (21-27), SaO2 94%. The most likely cause of an increase in the patient’s global cerebral blood flow (CBF) is which of the following?