Final answer:
The patient might have respiratory acidosis, a condition caused by excess carbonic acid or CO2 in the blood due to impaired respiratory function or hypoventilation, leading to an overly acidic blood pH.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient with low O2 saturation, acidosis, and hypercapnia might be suffering from respiratory acidosis. This condition occurs when there is an excess of carbonic acid or CO2 in the blood, making it overly acidic. Common causes of respiratory acidosis include conditions that impair respiratory functions, like pneumonia and congestive heart failure, as well as hypoventilation due to certain drugs or even voluntarily holding one's breath.
In respiratory acidosis, bicarbonate levels would be normal initially, but if the body's compensatory mechanisms are at play, bicarbonate levels would increase in an attempt to reestablish the proper ratio of bicarbonate and carbonic acid/CO2. On the other hand, metabolic acidosis involves a primary bicarbonate deficiency, leading to an acidic blood pH due to too little bicarbonate. Causes of metabolic acidosis include the presence of organic acids in the blood or excessive ketones, among others.