A 68-year-old female who was admitted with shortness of breath. On your arrival, the patient appears drowsy and is on 10L of oxygen via a mask. You perform an ABG, which reveals the following results:

• PaO2: 52.5 mmHg
• pH: 7.29
• PaCO2: 68 mmHg
• HCO3–: 26
What does the ABG show:
Oxygenation (PaO2):
pH:
PaCO2:
HCO3–:
Interpretation:

What symptoms or signs are associated with hypercapnia (↑CO2)?

Arterial blood gas (ABG) results from a 68-year-old woman with difficulty breathing show:

whose interpretation is: respiratory acidosis.

Hypercapnia can produce symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness or lethargy, headache, nausea and vomiting and, in severe states, can cause severe unconsciousness and coma.

Explanation:

Respiratory acidosis is due to a failure in the breathing process that produces hypoventilation, decreasing the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) —hypoxemia— and increasing the partial pressure of CO₂ (PaCO₂), called hypercapnia.

Hypercapnia mainly affects the nervous system, producing symptoms that alter the state of consciousness of the affected, also producing headache and even nausea and vomiting.

answer:

24

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