Respiratory alkalosis is a loss of carbon dioxide (Pco2 <>2CO3) due to a marked increase in the rate of respirations. The two primary mechanisms that trigger hyperventilation are: hypoxemia and direct stimulation of the central respiratory center of the brain.
Compensatory mechanisms include decreased respiratory rate (if the body is able to respond to the drop in Paco2), increased renal excretion of bicarbonate, and retention of hydrogen. It is the most frequently occurring acid-base imbalance in hospitalized patients, with the elderly at increased risk because of high incidence of pulmonary disorders and alterations in neurological status.
Nursing Care Plan
Below is a nursing care plan and nursing diagnosis patients with respiratory alkalosis.
Impaired Gas Exchange
May be related to
- Ventilation perfusion imbalance (e.g., altered oxygen supply, altered blood flow, altered oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, alveolar-capillary membrane changes)
Possibly evidenced by
- Dyspnea, tachypnea
- Changes in mentation
- Hypocapnia, tachycardia
- Hypoxia
Desired Outcomes
- Demonstrate improved ventilation and adequate oxygenation of tissue as evidenced by ABGs within patient’s acceptable limits and absence of symptoms of respiratory distress.
- Verbalize understanding of causative factors and appropriate interventions.
- Participate in treatment regimen within level of ability/situation.
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Monitor respiratory rate, depth, and effort. Ascertain cause of hyperventilation if possible. Differentiate hyperventilation caused by anxiety, pain, or improper ventilator settings. | Identifies alterations from usual breathing pattern and influences choice of intervention. |
| Encourage patient to breathe slowly and deeply. Speak in a low, calm tone of voice. Provide safe environment. | May help reassure and calm the agitated patient, thereby aiding the reduction of respiratory rate. Assists patient to regain control. |
| Assess level of awareness or cognition and note neuromuscular status. Assess strength, tone, reflexes, and sensation. | Decreased mentation (mild to severe) and tetany or seizures may occur when alkalosis is severe. |
| Demonstrate appropriate breathing patterns, if appropriate, and assist with respiratory aids or rebreathing mask/bag. | Decreasing the rate of respirations can halt the “blowing off” of CO2, elevating Pco2 level and normalizing pH. |
| Provide comfort measures; encourage use of meditation and visualization. Use tepid sponge bath/cool cloths. | Promotes relaxation and reduces stress. Control and reduction of fever reduces potential for seizures and helps reduce respiration rate. |
| Provide safety and seizure precautions. Place bed in low position, pad side rails and do frequent observation of the patient. | Changes in mentation, CNS and neuromuscular hyperirritability may result in patient harm, especially if tetany or convulsions occur. |
| Discuss cause of condition (if known) and appropriate interventions and/or self-care activities. | Promotes participation in therapeutic regimen and may reduce recurrence of disorder. |
| Assist with identification and treatment of underlying cause. | Respiratory alkalosis is a complication, not an isolated occurrence; addressing the primary condition (hyperventilation of panic attack, organ failure, severe anemia; drug effect, such as with paraldehyde or epinephrine) promotes correction of the disorder and reduces likelihood of recurrence. |
| Monitor and graph serial ABGs, and pulse oximetry. | Identifies therapy needs and effectiveness. |
| Monitor serum potassium. Replace as indicated. | Hypokalemia may occur as potassium is lost (urine) or shifted into the cell in exchange for hydrogen in an attempt to correct alkalosis. |
| Provide sedation and pain medication, as indicated. | May be required to reduce psychogenic cause of hyperventilation. |
| Administer CO2, or use rebreathing mask as indicated. Reduce respiratory rate and tidal volume, or add additional dead space (tubing) to mechanical ventilator. | Increasing CO2 retention may correct carbonic acid deficit. |
Recommended Resources
Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.
Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy.
Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care
We love this book because of its evidence-based approach to nursing interventions. This care plan handbook uses an easy, three-step system to guide you through client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning. Includes step-by-step instructions showing how to implement care and evaluate outcomes, and help you build skills in diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking.
Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
Includes over two hundred care plans that reflect the most recent evidence-based guidelines. New to this edition are ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues and on electrolytes and acid-base balance.
NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2021-2023
The definitive guide to nursing diagnoses is reviewed and approved by the NANDA International. In this new version of a pioneering text, all introductory chapters have been rewritten to provide nurses with the essential information they need to comprehend assessment, its relationship to diagnosis and clinical reasoning, and the purpose and application of taxonomic organization at the bedside. A total of 46 new nursing diagnoses and 67 amended nursing diagnostics are presented.
Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
Quick-reference tool includes all you need to identify the correct diagnoses for efficient patient care planning. The sixteenth edition includes the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions from NANDA-I 2021-2023 and an alphabetized listing of nursing diagnoses covering more than 400 disorders.
Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care
Identify interventions to plan, individualize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. Only in the Nursing Diagnosis Manual will you find for each diagnosis…. subjectively and objectively – sample clinical applications, prioritized action/interventions with rationales – a documentation section, and much more!
All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health
Includes over 100 care plans for medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health. Interprofessional “patient problems” focus familiarizes you with how to speak to patients.
See also
Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:
- Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and Database MUST READ!
Over 150+ nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions. Includes our easy-to-follow guide on how to create nursing care plans from scratch. - Nursing Diagnosis Guide and List: All You Need to Know to Master Diagnosing
Our comprehensive guide on how to create and write diagnostic labels. Includes detailed nursing care plan guides for common nursing diagnostic labels.
Other nursing care plans related to endocrine system and metabolism disorders:
- Acid-Base Balance
- Addison’s Disease | 3 Care Plans
- Cushing’s Disease | 6 Care Plans
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 (Juvenile Diabetes) | 4 Care Plans
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 | 17 Care Plans
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) | 4 Care Plans
- Eating Disorders: Anorexia & Bulimia Nervosa | 7 Care Plans
- Fluid and Electrolyte Imbalances
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus | 4 Care Plans
- Hyperthyroidism | 7 Care Plans
- Hypothyroidism | 3 Care Plans
- Obesity | 5 Care Plans
- Thyroidectomy | 5 Care Plans
thanks for help in nursing care plan…. and i want more information about disease care plan.thanks for help me
thanks for information