Definition Respiratory acidosis is a shift of the pH value in the blood to the acidic range. The normal blood pH value fluctuates between 7.38-7.45. If respiratory acidosis is present, the pH value decreases. As the name suggests, the presence of respiratory acidosis is caused by a respiratory disorder. The patient hypoventilats, which means that … Respiratory acidosis
Diagnosis The diagnosis of respiratory acidosis is made by means of blood gas analysis of the arterial blood. This means that blood is not drawn from a vein as is normally the case, but from an artery. The blood is sent to the laboratory. There, the pH value is determined as well as the exact … Diagnosis | Respiratory acidosis
What can be the long-term consequences of respiratory acidosis? As already mentioned in the section “BGA”, respiratory acidosis leads in the long term to metabolic compensation, whereby more bicarbonate is retained. This keeps the pH value largely neutral. If there is a pronounced respiratory acidosis, the patient’s lips turn bluish. The reason for this is … What can be the long-term consequences of respiratory acidosis? | Respiratory acidosis
Prognosis The prognosis of a respiratory acidosis depends entirely on what the cause of this condition is and whether it can be permanently corrected. If the cause is a pure respiratory obstruction, respiratory acidosis is a pure symptom which disappears as soon as the respiratory obstruction is removed. If there is damage to the brain … Prognosis | Respiratory acidosis