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The body's "goal" is to have a relatively even ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Chemoreceptors in the body sense a change in partial pressures and pH (hydrogen ion concentration) in the blood.
Many people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a low partial pressure of oxygen in the blood and high partial pressure of carbon dioxide.Treatment with supplemental oxygen may improve their well-being; alternatively, in some this can lead to the adverse effect of elevating the carbon dioxide content in the blood (hypercapnia) to levels that may become toxic.
Hypercapnia (from the Greek hyper, "above" or "too much" and kapnos, "smoke"), also known as hypercarbia and CO 2 retention, is a condition of abnormally elevated carbon dioxide (CO 2) levels in the blood. Carbon dioxide is a gaseous product of the body's metabolism and is normally expelled through the lungs.
The CO 2 combines with H 2 O to form carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3). The lungs normally excrete the volatile fraction through ventilation, and acid accumulation does not occur. A significant alteration in ventilation that affects elimination of CO 2 can cause a respiratory acid-base disorder. The PaCO 2 is maintained within a range of 35–45 mm Hg ...
Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial carbon dioxide levels is called hypercapnia. Respiratory failure is classified as ...
Respiratory alkalosis is a medical condition in which increased respiration elevates the blood pH beyond the normal range (7.35–7.45) with a concurrent reduction in arterial levels of carbon dioxide. [1] [4] This condition is one of the four primary disturbances of acid–base homeostasis. [5]
Carbon dioxide is a by-product of food metabolism and in high amounts has toxic effects including: dyspnea, acidosis and altered consciousness. [8] Arterial blood carbon dioxide tension. P a CO 2 – Partial pressure of carbon dioxide at sea level in arterial blood is between 35 and 45 mmHg (4.7 and 6.0 kPa). [9] Venous blood carbon dioxide tension
Hyperventilation is irregular breathing that occurs when the rate or tidal volume of breathing eliminates more carbon dioxide than the body can produce. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] This leads to hypocapnia , a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the blood.