Acute respiratory failure
Topic: Medical-surgical
Failure of the lungs to oxygenate the blood, to remove carbon dioxide, or both. A PaO2 below 60 mmHg is a critical value, and rising carbon dioxide makes the blood more acidic (pH falls). Causes include pneumonia, COPD exacerbation, asthma, pulmonary edema, opioid overdose and neuromuscular weakness. Restlessness, anxiety and confusion come early, with tachypnea, tachycardia and accessory muscle use; drowsiness and cyanosis are late. Position the client upright, give oxygen as ordered, monitor arterial blood gases, and prepare for noninvasive ventilation or intubation.
- Also known as:
- Respiratory failure, Hypoxemic respiratory failure, Hypercapnic respiratory failure
- In Turkish:
- Akut solunum yetmezliği
What does Acute respiratory failure mean?
Acute respiratory failure is part of the Medical-surgical topic in nursing. Students meet it in class, on clinical placements and while preparing for exams.
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