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Respiratory acidosis

Definition:

Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of the carbon dioxide produced by the body. This creates a disruption in the body's acid-base balance. Body fluids become excessively acidic.

Alternative Names:

Ventilatory failure; Respiratory failure; Acidosis - respiratory

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Respiratory acidosis can result from lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe asthma .

Other conditions that may lead to respiratory acidosis include:

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
Excessive fatigue or weakness of the rib cage muscles
Severe deformities of the spine and rib cage such as severe scoliosis
Airway obstruction

Chronic respiratory acidosis occurs over a long period of time. This leads to a stable situation. This is because the kidneys increase chemicals that help restore the body's acid-base balance.

Acute respiratory acidosis is a severe condition in which the carbon dioxide builds up very quickly.

References:

Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine . 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000: 191-192.

Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2002:1716-1717.

Ford MD, Clinical Toxicology . 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2001:92.

Respiratory system

Review Date: 2/14/2006
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, CriticalCare & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Reviewprovided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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