Search
acute hypercapneic respiratory failure
Clinical manifestations:
- variable & non-specific
- increased work of breathing
- somnolence & myoclonic jerks with CO2 narcosis
- neurologic weakenss
Laboratory:
- complete blood count may show polycythemia
- arterial blood gas (even if hyoxemia resolves with oxygen therapy) [1]
Complications:
- oxygen therapy may decrease hypoxemia but increased hypercapnia
Management:
- depends on underlying pathology
- an elevated arterial pCO2 may represent baseline in patients with COPD
- an elevated arterial pCO2 in patients with asthma may be a harbinger of acute respiratory failure necessitating endotracheal intubation
- BiPap for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to COPD exacerbation [1]
Related
chronic hypercapneic respiratory failure
General
acute respiratory failure
hypercapneic respiratory failure
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 19
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2022