Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Crit Care Clin. 2024 Jan 25;40(2):235–253. doi: 10.1016/j.ccc.2024.01.002

Table 3.

Expected changes in pH and PaCO2 in acute and chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure

Increase in PaCO2 Increase in HCO3 Decrease in pH
Acute hypercapnia 10 mmHg 1 mEq/L 0.08
Chronic hypercapnia 10 mmHg 3.5 mEq/L 0.03