What is generally seen in a patient who is hypoventilating?

Hypoventilation refers to a condition in which a person is breathing at an abnormally low rate, leading to inadequate ventilation and insufficient gas exchange in the lungs. When someone hypoventilates, carbon dioxide (CO2) can accumulate in the blood, resulting in a higher partial pressure of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia). This increase in CO2 leads to respiratory acidosis, which is characterized by a decrease in blood pH. Therefore, a patient who is hypoventilating will typically exhibit a decreased pH due to the accumulation of CO2 and the resultant acid-base imbalance.

Although there are other elements associated with hypoventilation, such as changes in oxygen saturation or respiratory rate, the key physiological change that is most directly related and defines the condition is the decrease in pH. The body's compensatory mechanisms may also react to the hypoventilation, but the most immediate and defining feature is the acidic environment created by the retention of carbon dioxide.