Final answer:
Cardiac arrest is not typically associated with an elevated baseline on a CO2 monitor; instead, it leads to an absence of exhaled CO2. Factors like a faulty expiration valve on the ventilator, exhausted CO2 absorbent, insufficient expiratory time, and inadequate fresh gas flow can cause baseline elevation.
Step-by-step explanation:
An elevation in the baseline of a CO₂ monitor can be due to a variety of factors that impair respiratory function or affect the measurement of exhaled CO₂. These factors include a faulty expiration valve on the ventilator, an exhausted CO₂ absorbent, insufficient expiratory time, and inadequate fresh gas flow. However, cardiac arrest is not typically associated with an elevated baseline on a CO₂ monitor; instead it would lead to an absence of exhaled CO₂ because the heart is no longer effectively circulating blood and the patient isn't breathing, thus not producing or expelling CO₂.
Respiratory acidosis can occur from any condition that interferes with respiration, leading to an excess of CO₂ in the blood. This situation might arise from diseases such as pneumonia or congestive heart failure. Hypoventilation due to certain drugs can also cause an increase in CO₂ levels. Conversely, respiratory alkalosis occurs when CO₂ is driven off too rapidly, leading to a deficiency, as seen in hyperventilation from conditions like fever or following a response to salicylate toxicity.