Professional Documents
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Artificial Airways
Mechanical Ventilation
Learning Outcomes
Describe respiratory failure
Describe artificial airways
Describe mechanical ventilation
Apply nursing management across
life span
Respiratory Failure
Sudden, life threatening
deterioration of the gas exchange
function of the lung
Patient can not eliminate CO2 from
the alveoli
CO2 retention results in
hypoxemia
O2 reaches the alveoli but can not
be absorbed or used properly.
Respiratory failure
Continued
Lung can move air sufficiently but
cannot oxygenate the pulmonary blood
properly
Respiratory failure occurs as a result of:
mechanical abnormality of the lungs
or chest wall
defect in the respiratory control
center in the brain or
Impairment in the function of the
respiratory muscles
Acute Respiratory Failure
(ARF)
Defined as:
PaO2 < 50 mm Hg (hypoxemia)
PaCO2 > 50 mm Hg (hypercapnia)
Arterial pH < 7.35
Chronic Respiratory
Failure
Defined as:
(CRF)
Deterioration in gas exchange that
has occurred over a long period of
time after an episode of ARF
Absence of acute symptoms and
presence of chronic respiratory
acidosis
Patient develop tolerance to gradual
worsening hypoxemia and
hypercapnia
COPD and neuromuscular diseases
Pathophysiology
ARF
Ventilation or perfusion
mechanism impaired
Alveolar hypoventilation
Diffusion abnormalities
Ventilation-perfusion mismatching
shunting
ARF Causes
Decreased respiratory drive
Dysfunction of the chest wall
Dysfunction of the lung
parenchyma
Post op after major thoracic or
abdominal surgery
Decreased Respiratory
Drive
Severe brain injury
Lesions of the brain stem (MS)
Use of sedative medications
Metabolic disorders
(hypothyroidism)