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Respiratory acidosis is acidosis (abnormal decrease in the pH of the blood) due to decreased ventilation of the pulmonary alveoli, leading to elevated arterial carbon dioxide concentration (PaCO2).
Respiratory acidosis is a clinical disturbance that is due to alveolar hypoventilation. Production of carbon dioxide occurs rapidly, and failure of ventilation promptly increases the level of PaCO2. Alveolar hypoventilation leads to an increased PaCO2 (ie, hypercapnia). The increase in PaCO2 in turn decreases the HCO3-/PaCO2 ratio and decreases pH. Hypercapnia and respiratory acidosis occur when impairment in ventilation occurs and the removal of CO2 by the lungs is less than the production of CO2 in the tissues.
Respiratory acidosis can be acute or chronic.
Acute respiratory acidosis occurs when an abrupt failure of ventilation occurs. This failure in ventilation may be caused by depression of the central respiratory center by cerebral disease or drugs, inability to ventilate adequately due to neuromuscular disease (eg, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, muscular dystrophy), or airway obstruction related to asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation.
Chronic respiratory acidosis may be secondary to many disorders, including COPD. Hypoventilation in COPD involves multiple mechanisms, including decreased responsiveness to hypoxia and hypercapnia, increased ventilation-perfusion mismatch leading to increased dead space ventilation, and decreased diaphragm function secondary to fatigue and hyperinflation.
Chronic respiratory acidosis also may be secondary to obesity hypoventilation syndrome (ie, Pickwickian syndrome), neuromuscular disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and severe restrictive ventilatory defects as observed in interstitial fibrosis and thoracic deformities.
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