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Respiratory Acidosis

• Reduced pH owing to alveolar hypoventilation with elevated PaCO₂
• Defined as PaCO₂ >45 mm Hg or higher than expected for calculated respiratory compensation for metabolic acidosis
• Divided into 3 broad categories:
  • Primary failure in CNS drive to ventilate:
    • Sleep apnea
    • Anesthesia
    • Sedative overdose
  • Primary failure in transport of CO₂ from alveolar space:
    • COPD
    • Myasthenic crisis
    • Severe hypokalemia
    • Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • Primary failure in transport of CO₂ from tissue to alveoli:
    • Severe heart failure/pulmonary edema

      Metabolic Acidosis

• Process that reduces serum pH by decreasing plasma bicarbonate levels
• Primarily caused by:
  • Accumulation of a strong acid through ingestion or metabolism
  • Loss of bicarbonate from the body
• Metabolic acidosis is clinically evaluated by dividing ...

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