Respiratory Acidosis in Pediatric Causes, Treatment & Management
Respiratory Acidosis Nursing Fluid & Electrolytes
Paediatric acid-base disorders
A respiratory acidosis means an increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood (PaCO2) due to inadequate respiration.
Respiratory alkalosis
Primary respiratory alkalosis is most frequently encountered in the ICU setting due to over-ambitious mechanical ventilation. Outside of that situation, the causes of respiratory alkalosis include:
- CNS: disturbances of the respiratory regulation – apneustic respirations (or agonal respirations – deep, gasping breaths with pause at full inspiration), central neurogenic hyperventilation (deep, rapid), Cheyne-Stokes respirations (oscillatory pattern of breathing of deep breathing then apnea followed again by deep breaths) due to tumor, meningitis, encephalitis, psychosis or pain.
- Hyperammonemia.
- Anxiety and panic attacks.
- Fever.
- Nicotine.
- Salicylates.
- Methylxanthines.
- Progesterone.
- Hyperthyroidism.
Signs and symptoms:
- Paresthesias.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Slurred speech.
- Brief loss of consciousness due to the combination of hypocarbia-induced cerebral vascular vasoconstriction and decreased off-loading of oxygen from hemoglobin due to the Bohr effect.
- Hypokalemia.
- Hypophosphatemia.
- Hypocalcemia.
- Chronic respiratory alkalosis can be diagnosed if the serum HCO3 is below the normal range.
