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)

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

More general terms

• acute respiratory failure
• hypercapneic respiratory failure

Additional terms

• chronic hypercapneic respiratory failure