Respiratory acidosis Flashcards
What is respiratory acidosis ?
- blood ph < 7,35 due to a respiratory failure system in balancing the pH
If there’s an increase in pCO2 -> decrease in pH -> stimulates chemoreceptors -> increase minute ventilation -> decrease pCO2 -> increase pH
State different conditions that could result in respiratory acidosis
- pb originating from the brain: after stroke/medication overdose (opioids, barbiturates). Myasthenia gravis
- Physical pb: severe trauma/obesity. Airways obstruction
- Conditions causing pb in gas exchange: COPD, Pneumonia, pulmonary embolism
Respiratory acidosis: After stroke/ medication overdose (opioids, barbiturates)
- the resp center slow their rate of firing -> which causes breathing to become slow, and can stop
Respiratory acidosis: neuromuscular disorder: myasthenia gravis
- nerves don’t stimulate muscles to contract
Respiratory acidosis: severe trauma/obesity
- causes the diaphragm muscles + chest wall to not work properly
Respiratory acidosis: airways obstruction
- due to objects lodging in bronchus -> preventing lungs form fully ventilating
Respiratory acidosis: COPD, pneumonia, pulmonary edema
- COPD: alveoli are damaged
- Pneumonia: fluid accumulation in alveoli
- pulmonary edema: fluid accumulation between alveoli and capillary walls
all results in impaired gas exchange -> results in inability to get rid of CO2 -> increased PCO2 (> 45mmHg) -> decreased pH (< 7,35)
Compensatory mechanisms for regulation of respiratory acidosis
- Resp system: stimulation of resp centers -> increase rate + depth of ventilation
- if resp system doesn’t work -> CO2 diffuse in RBC -> slightly regulates pH but results in acidic intracellular RBCs
- kidney system: takes 3-5 days. Senses low PH, and cells in prox tubule increases HCO3- -> causes reabsorption of HCO3- in the blood
Subdivision of respiratory acidosis
- acute resp acidosis: absence of renal compensation
- chronic resp acidosis: presence of renal compensation
