Respiratory Acidosis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Respiratory acidosis (synonym: acidosis, respiratory; ICD-10 E87.2: acidosis: respiratory) is caused by a disorder of respiration.

Under normal circumstances, sufficient oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide is exhaled with each breath, so that the necessary balance in the body is always ensured. In respiratory (breathing-related) acidosis, there is insufficient breathing with decreased respiratory rate (hypoventilation), resulting in poorly ventilated lungs. As a result, too little “acidic” CO2 (carbon dioxide) is removed from the body – consequently, the blood pH drops below 7.36.

Respiratory acidosis results from pCO2 increase due to decreased alveolar ventilation (only fresh air reaching the alveolar space participates in gas exchange).

Most commonly, this form of acidosis is caused by severe pulmonary dysfunction (e.g., bronchial asthma, emphysema (pulmonary hyperinflation)).

Course and prognosis: In severe cases, the patient becomes cyanotic (“blue lips”). Appropriate measures must be taken immediately (in acute cases: increase breathing, ventilation if necessary; in chronic cases: bronchospasmolysis (resolution of bronchial muscle spasms) and secretolysis/dissolution of secretions) to prevent the oxygen deficiency and the cardiac arrhythmias that occur from becoming life-threatening.