A patient has serum sodium 140 mmol/L, chloride 100 mmol/L and bicarbonate 24 mmol/L. What is the anion gap?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 16 mmol/L

  1. Step 1: The anion gap is Na - (Cl + HCO3).
  2. Step 2: 140 - (100 + 24) = 16 mmol/L.
Answer
16 mmol/L.
Why not the others: '40 mmol/L' ignores bicarbonate, so it is not the anion gap; '264 mmol/L' adds all three ions instead of subtracting chloride and bicarbonate; '20 mmol/L' adds a potassium-style correction that is not part of the standard formula.

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