Acute respiratory failure

Question 1

Define respiratory failure

Answer 1

loss of ability to ventilate or provide adequate o2 to the body.
Clinically Respiratory failure is defined as PaO2 <60 mmHg
while breathing air, or a PaCO2 >50 mmHg

Question 2

Respiratory failure can be of two kinds

Answer 2

hypoxemic
hypercapnic

Question 3

Differentiate acute and chronic respiratory distress

Answer 3

acute: low ph, develops in minutes to hours
chronic: normalish ph, develops over days, increase in HCO3

Question 4

Type 1 hypoxemic respiratory failure is

Answer 4

PaO2 <60 with normal or low PaCO2 (normal/high ph)
most common
causes by V’Q mismatch and shunt

Question 5

Type 2 Hypercapnic respiratory failure

Answer 5

PaCO2>50
Ph depends on level of HCO3 (and the level of HCO3 depends on the duration of hypercapnia)