The fetal lungs are collapsed, and blood passes from the right atrium directly into the left atrium through the foramen ovale: an open conduit between the paired atria, or through the ductus arteriosus: a shunt between the pulmonary artery and the aorta.
By Deborah Leader, RN. Updated January 21, 2016. Hypercapnia is a condition that occurs when there is too much carbon dioxide in the blood. While it is sometimes caused by things such as hypoventilation or a narcotic drug overdose, a much more common cause is COPD. If you have COPD, it's important to know the hypercapnia symptoms, as well as the treatments available.
This test measures how much carbon dioxide is in your blood. When you digest food, your body makes carbon dioxide as a waste product in the form of gas. Your blood carries this gas to your lungs. You exhale it and breathe in oxygen thousands of times a day.Carbon dioxide in your blood usually causes no problems.his test measures how much carbon dioxide is in your blood. When you digest food, your body makes carbon dioxide as a waste product in the form of gas. Your blood carries this gas to your lungs. You exhale it and breathe in oxygen thousands of times a day. Carbon dioxide in your blood usually causes no problems.