acute hypercapneic respiratory failure
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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]