Question 1

what is the ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia?

Accepted Answer

Increase ventilation: The basic answer to this question is that the body increases ventilation in response to hypercapnia or hypoxia. There are both environmental and individual causes that account for variability amongst individuals in their responses to these stimuli.

Question 2

what is the blood gas value to determine hypercapnia & hypoxia?

Accepted Answer

See below: Hypercapnea or hypercarbia-too much carbon dioxide is measured by the pco2 in a blood gas (elevated). Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen in the blood and measured by the po2 (low).

Question 3

what would be the feeling of hypercapnia ?

Accepted Answer

Not a feeling: Some patients are chronically hypercarbic, and feel normal; if the change is rapid, patients feel very short of breath (eg as though they are suffocating), if it is slightly s
ower in onset they may become very sleepy/confused (co2 narcosis).

Question 4

how to treat hypercapnia?

Accepted Answer

Cause: Depends on the cause. If it is compensatory for metabolic alcolosis  or hypo ventilation due to pleural effusion or something else. The physician at the bed side is the best guide.

Question 5

what is the definition or description of: hypercapnia?

Accepted Answer

CO2 retention: Hypercapnia is excessive build up of co2 (carbon dioxide), which is normally primarily cleared by the lungs. Co2 can build up due to hypoventilation (decreased breathing, such as in sleep apnea) or poor exchange of gas between lung and blood, such as in emphysema. Over production of co2 can make clearing it more difficult for the lung to keep up, but this is rarely the case.

Question 6

does hypercapnia help accelerate your blood flow?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the brain. : Hypercapnea does increase blood flow in the brain by causing cerebral vessel vasodilation. This is part of a process in the brain termed cerebral autoregulation. It also can lead to peripheral vasodilation by direct effects on blood vessels. This may also lead to increased blood flow.  However, this would not be a desirable effect for anything other than the body's normal response to changes in ph.

Question 7

what can cause hypercapnia but with normal oxygen levels so no hyperventilation etc?

Accepted Answer

Sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea or chronic lung disease can cause hypercapnea. Also overdosing on pain medications and sedatives will decrease the breathing rate resulting in hypercapnea.

Question 8

can emphysema cause hypercapnia?

Accepted Answer

Yes: hypercapnea is more common with COPD than with emphysema and many patients have a mixture of COPD and emphysema but I have seen a few cases of hypercapnia where emphysema was the primary issue.

Question 9

why do patients with chronic bronchitis develop hypercapnia?

Accepted Answer

Most likely because: the cause of the chronic bronchitis is obstructive lung disease, otherwise known as COPD.  When the CO2 is trapped because of bronchial constriction (narrowing of the breathing tubes) and poor alveolar diffusion, it cannot be exchanged with oxygen and the CO2 remains in the blood.  When that happens, the pH of blood increases and the patient suffers from high degree of acidity in the blood.

Question 10

lot of info behind this, but why would person get hypercapnia , 1 req. vent, 3 mo in a row all of a sudden if has had asthma/bad lungs for yrs?

Accepted Answer

Asthma : This depends on many things. Asthma can simply be a progressive disease getting worse and worse damaging the lung tissue. There's probably some component of emphysema which is much worse than asthma. Did the person smoke? Did they take care of themselves ? Did they treat the asthma appropriately?

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Doctor answers about:

Hypoxia and hypercapnia

A member asked:

What is the ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia?

A member asked:

What is the blood gas value to determine hypercapnia & hypoxia?

A member asked:

What would be the feeling of hypercapnia ?

A member asked:

How to treat hypercapnia?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: hypercapnia?

A member asked:

Does hypercapnia help accelerate your blood flow?

A member asked:

What can cause hypercapnia but with normal oxygen levels so no hyperventilation etc?

A member asked:

Can emphysema cause hypercapnia?

A member asked:

Why do patients with chronic bronchitis develop hypercapnia?

A member asked:

Lot of info behind this, but why would person get hypercapnia , 1 req. vent, 3 mo in a row all of a sudden if has had asthma/bad lungs for yrs?

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