A Quick Reference on Respiratory Acidosis

Rebecca A Johnson

doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2016.10.012

A Quick Reference on Respiratory Acidosis

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2017 Mar;47(2):185-189. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2016.10.012. Epub 2016 Dec 8.

Author

Rebecca A Johnson¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Electronic address: rebecca.johnson@wisc.edu.

PMID: 27939862
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2016.10.012

Abstract

Respiratory acidosis, or primary hypercapnia, occurs when carbon dioxide production exceeds elimination via the lung and is mainly owing to alveolar hypoventilation. Concurrent increases in Paco₂, decreases in pH and compensatory increases in blood HCO₃^- concentration are associated with respiratory acidosis. Respiratory acidosis can be acute or chronic, with initial metabolic compensation to increase HCO₃^- concentrations by intracellular buffering. Chronic respiratory acidosis results in longer lasting increases in renal reabsorption of HCO₃^-. Alveolar hypoventilation and resulting respiratory acidosis may also be associated with hypoxemia, especially evident when patients are inspiring room air (20.9% O₂).

Keywords: Alveolar hypoventilation; Arterial blood gas; Hypercapnia; Metabolic compensation; Respiratory acidosis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acid-Base Imbalance
Acidosis, Respiratory / diagnosis
Acidosis, Respiratory / etiology
Acidosis, Respiratory / veterinary*
Algorithms
Animals
Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
Hypercapnia / complications
Hypercapnia / veterinary

Substances

Carbon Dioxide