Acidosis refers to an excess of acid in the blood that causes the pH to fall below 7.35, and alkalosis refers to an excess of base in the blood that causes the pH to rise
above 7.45
.
What is respiratory alkalosis?
Respiratory alkalosis is a
condition marked by a low level of carbon dioxide in the blood due to breathing excessively
.
What is respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis?
Normally, the respiratory system keeps these two gases in balance. Respiratory alkalosis
occurs when you breathe too fast or too deep and carbon
dioxide levels drop too low. This causes the pH of the blood to rise and become too alkaline. When the blood becomes too acidic, respiratory acidosis occurs.
What is respiratory acidosis?
Respiratory acidosis is
a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of the carbon dioxide the body produces
. This causes body fluids, especially the blood, to become too acidic.
What does Respiratory acidosis do to the body?
Respiratory acidosis is a serious medical condition that occurs when
the lungs can’t remove all of the carbon dioxide produced by the body through normal metabolism
. The blood becomes acidified, leading to increasingly serious symptoms, from sleepiness to coma.
What is the most common cause of respiratory alkalosis?
Hyperventilation
is typically the underlying cause of respiratory alkalosis. Hyperventilation is also known as overbreathing. Someone who is hyperventilating breathes very deeply or rapidly.
What diseases cause respiratory alkalosis?
Any lung disease that leads to shortness of breath can also cause respiratory alkalosis (such as
pulmonary embolism and asthma
).
What is an example of respiratory alkalosis?
Accidentally induced. Sometimes, a
person receiving breathing support via a ventilator
may show signs of respiratory alkalosis. This means that the ventilator is providing too many breaths, or breaths that are too large, and the person breathes off extra carbon dioxide. This results in respiratory alkalosis.
What is the compensation for respiratory acidosis?
| Disorder Expected compensation Correction factor | Acute respiratory acidosis Increase in [HCO 3 -]= ∆ PaCO 2 /10 ± 3 | Chronic respiratory acidosis (3-5 days) Increase in [HCO 3 -]= 3.5(∆ PaCO 2 /10) | Metabolic alkalosis Increase in PaCO 2 = 40 + 0.6(∆HCO 3 -) | Acute respiratory alkalosis Decrease in [HCO 3 -]= 2(∆ PaCO 2 /10) |
|---|
What is the compensation for respiratory alkalosis?
Compensation for respiratory alkalosis is by
increased renal excretion of bicarbonate
. In acute respiratory alkalosis, the bicarbonate concentration level decreases by 2 mEq/L for each decrease of 10 mm Hg in the PaCO
2
level.
What are the signs and symptoms of respiratory acidosis?
- fatigue or drowsiness.
- becoming tired easily.
- confusion.
- shortness of breath.
- sleepiness.
- headache.
Which condition is most likely to cause acidosis?
- kidney conditions.
- liver disease.
- diabetes mellitus.
- HIV treatments.
- extreme physical exercise.
- alcoholism.
How do you fix vent respiratory acidosis?
Therapeutic measures that may be lifesaving in severe hypercapnia and respiratory acidosis include
endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation
and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) techniques such as nasal continuous positive-pressure ventilation (NCPAP) and nasal bilevel ventilation.
How can you tell if respiratory acidosis is acute or chronic?
- Acute: Expected decrease in pH = 0.08 x (measured PaCO
2
– 40) - Chronic: Expected drop in pH = 0.03 x (measured PaCO
2
– 40)
How do you get rid of carbon dioxide in the lungs?
Ventilator
, a breathing machine that blows air into your lungs. It also carries carbon dioxide out of your lungs. Other breathing treatments, such as noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV), which uses mild air pressure to keep your airways open while you sleep.
How does respiratory failure affect the body?
When a person has acute respiratory failure,
the usual exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs does not occur
. As a result, enough oxygen cannot reach the heart, brain, or the rest of the body. This can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, a bluish tint in the face and lips, and confusion.
