Word parts
What it means
Carbon dioxide builds up when the lungs do not move enough air out, as in COPD, severe asthma, sedation with opioids, or weakness of the breathing muscles. It makes the blood acidic (respiratory acidosis). Signs include headache, flushed skin, sleepiness and confusion, and severe levels can lead to coma.
For the nurse
Watch for increasing sleepiness or confusion in clients at risk and report it. Some clients with long-term COPD who retain carbon dioxide need oxygen given carefully to a set saturation target.
At a glance
| Spanish | hipercapnia |
|---|---|
| Also written | hypercarbia, hypercapnic |
Related terms
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs.
arterial blood gas
A blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.
ventilation
Air moving in and out of the lungs as a person breathes.
bicarbonate
A base in the blood that balances acid; the kidneys control it, and its level is measured on blood gas and chemistry tests.
BiPAP
Bilevel positive airway pressure: breathing support through a mask that gives one pressure on breathing in and a lower one on breathing out.