Hypoventilation is breathing that is too shallow or too slow to meet the needs of the body.
If a person hypoventilates, the body's carbon dioxide level rises. This causes a buildup of acid and too little oxygen in the blood.
A person with hypoventilation might feel sleepy.
Mccormack MC, West JB. Ventilation, blood flow, and gas exchange. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 10.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 2/2/2023
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