When caring for a client with acute respiratory failure, the nurse should expect to focus on resolving which set of problems?

The nurse should address these problems first: Hypercapnia, hypoventilation, and hypoxemia. Hypercapnia is generally caused by hypoventilation, lung disease, or diminished consciousness. Hypoventilation is when someone is breathing at an abnormally slow rate, which leads to an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. Hypoxemia is describes having an abnormally low level of oxygen in the blood.