A 60-year-old male with a history of COPD presents with shortness of breath. His blood gas shows a PaO2 of 58 mmHg, PaCO2 of 58 mmHg, and bicarbonate level of 32 mEq/L. What could be the potential causes, and what are the next steps?
This patient's blood gas results suggest chronic respiratory acidosis with metabolic compensation, likely due to his underlying COPD. His body has increased bicarbonate production to compensate for the high PaCO2. The next step would be to address the potential exacerbation of his COPD, which may involve treatments like bronchodilators, steroids, antibiotics, and possibly supplemental oxygen.