A 52-year-old male smoker presents to the emergency department with acute dyspnea and chest tightness. Arterial blood gas analysis reveals: pH 7.32, PaCO₂ 55 mmHg, PaO₂ 58 mmHg, HCO₃⁻ 28 mEq/L, SaO₂ 82%. Chest X-ray shows hyperinflation with flattened diaphragms. The patient's oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve is shifted to the RIGHT compared to normal. Which of the following best explains the rightward shift of the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve in this patient?

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