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Capnography is the monitoring of the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the respiratory gases. Its main development has been as a monitoring tool for use during anesthesia and intensive care. It is usually presented as a graph of CO2 (measured in kilopascals, "kPa" or millimeters of mercury, "mmHg") plotted against ...
Respiratory acidosis is a state in which decreased ventilation (hypoventilation) increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood and decreases the blood's pH (a condition generally called acidosis). Carbon dioxide is produced continuously as the body's cells respire, and this CO2 will accumulate rapidly if the lungs do not adequately ...
Hypocapnia (from the Greek words ὑπό meaning below normal and καπνός kapnós meaning smoke), also known as hypocarbia, sometimes incorrectly called acapnia, is a state of reduced carbon dioxide in the blood. [1] Hypocapnia usually results from deep or rapid breathing, known as hyperventilation. Hypocapnia is the opposite of hypercapnia.
A medical condition such as stroke affecting the brainstem. Voluntary breath-holding or underbreathing, for example, hypoventilation training [ 2 ] or the Buteyko method. Medication or drugs, typically when taken in accidental or intentional overdose. Opioids and benzodiazepines in particular are known to cause respiratory depression.
A low PaO 2 indicates that the patient's current minute ventilation (whether high or normal) is not enough to allow adequate oxygen diffusion into the blood. Therefore, the A–a gradient essentially demonstrates a high respiratory effort (low arterial PaCO 2) relative to the achieved level of oxygenation (arterial PaO 2). A high A–a gradient ...
In respiratory physiology, the ventilation/perfusion ratio (V/Q ratio) is a ratio used to assess the efficiency and adequacy of the ventilation-perfusion coupling and thus the matching of two variables: V – ventilation – the air that reaches the alveoli. Q – perfusion – the blood that reaches the alveoli via the capillaries.
Assessing and monitoring blood gas levels is the most accurate means to identify a state of respiratory compromise in patients. ABG testing does however require an arterial blood sample, which is more invasive and uncomfortable for patients than a pulse oximetry reading that uses a reading based on light and color.
Metabolic acidosis is a serious electrolyte disorder characterized by an imbalance in the body's acid-base balance. Metabolic acidosis has three main root causes: increased acid production, loss of bicarbonate, and a reduced ability of the kidneys to excrete excess acids. [ 5 ]