Hyper and hypo ventilation with PaCO2 levels

Published

i'm confused..... in my book it states

hyperventilation occurs when the paco2 is less than 35 mmhg and hypoventilation occurs when the paco2 is greater than 45 mmhg. that doesn't make sense to me.

is this a mistake or am i missing something?

In my vocabulary, using sound nursing assessment and judgement to then make decsions based on protocols does not equate to directing care. We are obviously dealing with a semantics issue. Who do you think dictates those protocols? HCP's you think? If that is the case it can be interpolated that by you following those protocols that the HCP is the de facto director of care......and you are following orders....again, in my opinion stating such things especially in a student forum borders on the dangerous....I direct you to the ANA Scope and Standards of Practice.....

If you can show me where I said that ONLY BSN's and APN's would EVER have a need for extra knowledge, I would be grateful and will happily eat those words. I am pretty sure you are taking liberties with what was said.

I realize that other people besides students read student forums. I would ask though that replies to students by experienced people is kept at the expected level of knowledge for a student. Most nursing students, especially ADNs have only a rudimentary knowledge of A&P.....at best.....there are of course exceptions and that statement was made solely based upon my own observations. My experience is that sometimes people who respond with these complex, deeply detailed, obviously advanced explanations are doing so to draw attention to themselves and do a little tooting of their own horn perhaps.....hell who knows maybe I am even guilty of this...

See Scott's post.

You make a lot of assumptions and assertions in all your (repeated) defenses in your argument.

You're not an RN yet, if I recall. Am I correct?

Regardless, there are a lot of highly educated people here with years in the medical field disagreeing with you. Either they're all wrong, or you are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i will again respectfully beg to differ on the assumption that knowing physiology and rationales for basic assessments and common conditions (such as acid/base, compensation, and blood gases) are solely within the purview of the physician. remember that when the oral thermometer was invented it was considered too technical for a mere nurse to understand and use correctly. ditto the syringe for injections, intravenous therapy, stethoscopes for ausculation, fetal monitoring, blood pressure measurement (omg, a technical marvel!), hemodialysis, intraaortic balloon pumps, and many others. as a matter of fact, since breaching the skin was considered a surgeon/physician-level skill, giving ims was technically illegal for nurses as late as when somebody noticed that archaicism in 1959.

there is a considerable body of knowledge in use by both professions. i have taught acid-base and blood gases to students for many years. you're selling them short if you think they can't learn it and what to do with it. if it's not something you want to do, it's a free country, but your peers will be lapping you in the long run.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
i will again respectfully beg to differ on the assumption that knowing physiology and rationales for basic assessments and common conditions (such as acid/base, compensation, and blood gases) are solely within the purview of the physician. remember that when the oral thermometer was invented it was considered too technical for a mere nurse to understand and use correctly. ditto the syringe for injections, intravenous therapy, stethoscopes for ausculation, fetal monitoring, blood pressure measurement (omg, a technical marvel!), hemodialysis, intraaortic balloon pumps, and many others. as a matter of fact, since breaching the skin was considered a surgeon/physician-level skill, giving ims was technically illegal for nurses as late as when somebody noticed that archaicism in 1959.

there is a considerable body of knowledge in use by both professions. i have taught acid-base and blood gases to students for many years. you're selling them short if you think they can't learn it and what to do with it. if it's not something you want to do, it's a free country, but your peers will be lapping you in the long run.

sigh. i feel all warm and fuzzy from reading your post.

clear and concise, logical thinking is a beautiful thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i do try. thank you for the kind words. :thankya:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
i do try. thank you for the kind words. :thankya:

toot, toot!:devil:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Would you like mayo with that?[/quote

Actually why would I need mayo? Even with what you quoted, it in no way matches the assertion you made against me. Go back and read carefully.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Anyway, I will leave you guys to your club....wasting my valuable time here...

Peace

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks Gila and GrnTea! Awesome explanations!!

Y'all are delving into stuff that I know just enough to get by, but your explanations are making my brain almost actually understand!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I actually just did this in AP2. we had to remember the chemical equations - wow! I hope I don't need that equation when I become a nurse, the words are easier to remember!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I realize that this is a late response, but I was cleaning out my inbox and saw that there had been many replies.

Yes, my question was answered and I appreciate all of the answers. I am the type of person that learns not by just reading something and memorizing it. I like to think "why", when I read, I ask myself "why would the body react that way", so all these detailed responses were quite helpful for me.

I have graduated nursing school, passed my NCLEX and am working as a RN now. While it may be nice to have a respiratory therapist on hand and to just tell the doctors/nurses what to do, I like to be able to be apart of the discussion when it comes to patient care, I like to be able to understand why someone is ordering something and to be able to put in my own opinion that has knowledge base behind it. So, while others may be content on just knowing the bare minimum, I am not and again thank all the people who took the time to explain this. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is a nice visual and simple review of hypo and hyperventilation.

Hypo the co2 level in the body is high which makes it acidic so you're trying to blow of the co2 slowly. resp. acidosis

hyper is when the co2 levels are low which means a low ph, so your body starts breathing faster to bring the levels up. resp. alkalosis

Hyper and Hypoventilation

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is a nice visual and simple review of hypo and hyperventilation.

Hypo the co2 level in the body is high which makes it acidic so you're trying to blow of the co2 slowly. resp. acidosis

hyper is when the co2 levels are low which means a low ph, so your body starts breathing faster to bring the levels up. resp. alkalosis

Hyper and Hypoventilation

The punctuation in your post makes me wonder if your understanding is exactly backward or not. I think it is. Let's restate this.

In hypoventilation, you are acidotic precisely because you are not blowing off (acidic) CO2 efficiently (for whatever reason). You're not "trying" to blow off CO2 slowly. "Hypo" means "lower" so "hypoventilation" means "lower than normal air movement in and out of the lungs." Hypoventilation makes you have higher CO2 levels, not lower ones. You need lower CO2 if you are hypoventilating, but hypoventilation isn't going to accomplish that goal. Hypoventilation increases CO2, thus lowering pH.

Likewise, if you are hyperventilating, you are alkalotic because you are blowing (acidic) CO2 off faster than normal. Breathing fast does not make CO2 levels rise, it does just the opposite. "Hyper" means "higher" so "hyperventilation" means "excessive air movement in and out of the lungs." Hyperventilation is the cause of the loss of CO2, increasing pH.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion