Respiratory acidosis

RAC:


 * We distinguish between acute and chronic;
 * imbalance between CO 2 production by tissues and its excretion
 * we create 13,000-15,000 mmol per day.

Acute respiratory acidosis

 * Hypercapnia, always accompanied by hypoxemia and lactic acidosis;
 * respiratory distress, restlessness, tachypnoea, dyspnoea, up to stupor and coma.

Causes

 * Airway obstruction
 * neuromuscular causes (strain damage, respiratory depression, myasthenia, botulism, tetanus ,…);
 * respiratory reduction - pneumothorax, hemothorax, pneumonia ,…;
 * circulatory disorders - embolism;
 * poorly performed artificial respiration.

Chronic respiratory acidosis

 * Chronic reduction in effective alveolar ventilation;
 * renal compensation occurs - Na + and HCO 3 - retention, Cl - is increasingly excreted;
 * erythrocyte count increases, Hb increases;
 * hypercapnia initially stimulates the respiratory center, at pCO 2 above 9 kPa - attenuation - as stimulation at that moment is mainly hypoxemia → do not give pure oxygen!!!

Causes

 * COPD;
 * chronic sedative overdose;
 * primary alveolar hypoventilation;
 * Pickwick syndrome;
 * neuromuscular impairment;
 * anatomical deformity of the chest - kyphoscoliosis ,…;
 * terminal stages of pulmonary fibrosis.

Related articles

 * Parameters of acid-base balance
 * Mechanism of maintaining acid-base balance
 * Laboratory examination of acid-base balance
 * Disorders of acid-base balance
 * Metabolic acidosis
 * Metabolic alkalosis
 * Respiratory alkalosis
 * Combined disorders of acid-base balance
 * Correction and compensation of acid-base imbalances
 * Principles of treatment of acid-base balance disorders
 * Relationships between acid-base balance and ionogram