A patient is admitted to the critical care unit with acute exacerbation of COPD caused by respiratory infection. Temperature is 39° C, blood pressure is 150/82 mm Hg, heart rate is 110 beats/min, and respiratory rate is 24 breaths/min. Chest x-ray film confirms that there is left upper lobe pneumonia. Arterial blood gases reveal the following:pHt7.29PaCO2t62 mm HgHCO3t30 mEq/LPaO2t52 mm HgThe acidosis and a fever in this patient would result in which of the following changes in the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve?
a. A shift to the right and increased saturation
b. A shift to the left and increased saturation
c. A shift to the left and decreased saturation
d. A shift to the right and decreased saturation