ACUTE PULMONARY FAILURE

ACUTE PULMONARY FAILURE

Respiratory failure happens when the capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, surrounding your air
sacs can’t properly exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. With acute respiratory failure, you
experience immediate symptoms from not having enough oxygen in your body. In most cases,
this failure may lead to death if it’s not treated quickly.
 TYPES OF ACUTE PULMONARY FAILURE

TYPE 1: Hypoxemic- failure means that you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood, but your levels of carbon

dioxide are close to norm respiratory al.

TYPE 2: Hypercapnic- respiratory failure means that there’s too much carbon dioxide in your blood, and near

normal or not enough oxygen in your blood.

 SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of acute respiratory failure depend on its underlying cause and the
levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood.

People with a high carbon dioxide level may experience:

· Rapid breathing
· Confusion
People with acute failure of the lungs and low oxygen levels may experience:
· restlessness
· anxiety
· sleepiness
· loss of consciousness
· rapid and shallow breathing
· racing heart
· irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
· profuse sweating
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ACUTE PULMONARY FAILURE

• obstruction
• injury
• ARDS affects you if you already have an underlying health problem such as:
pneumonia
pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
severe trauma
sepsis
severe brain injuries
lung injuries caused by inhalation of smoke or chemical products
• drug or alcohol abuse
• stroke
• infection
 RISK FOR ACUTE PULMONARY FAILURE

You may be at risk for acute respiratory failure if you:

• smoke tobacco products

• drink alcohol excessively

• have a family history of respiratory disease or conditions

• sustain an injury to the spine, brain, or chest

• have a compromised immune system

• have chronic (long-term) respiratory problems, such as cancer of the lungs, chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD), or asthma.

 Diagnosing Acute Pulmonary Failure

After your doctor stabilizes you, he or she will take certain steps to diagnose your condition, such as:
· perform a physical exam
· ask you questions about your family or personal health history
· check your body’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels level with a pulse oximetry device and an
arterial blood gas test
· order a chest X-ray to look for abnormalities in your lungs
 TREATMENT

Treatment usually addresses any underlying conditions you may have. Your doctor will then
treat your respiratory failure with a variety of options.
· Your doctor may prescribe pain medications or other medicines to help you breathe better.
· If you can breathe adequately on your own and your hypoxemia is mild, you may 
receive oxygen from an oxygen tank to help you breathe better. Portable air tanks are
available if your condition requires one.
· If you can’t breathe adequately on your own, your doctor may insert a breathing tube into
your mouth or nose, and connect the tube to a ventilator to help you breathe.
· If you require prolonged ventilator support, an operation that creates an artificial airway in
the windpipe called a tracheostomy may be necessary.
· You may receive oxygen via an oxygen tank or ventilator to help you breathe better.
 PREVENTION

These include:
· refraining from smoking cigarettes, which can damage the lungs
· seeing a doctor at early signs of a bacterial infection, such as a fever, cough, and high
mucus production
· taking all medications a doctor prescribes to keep the heart and lungs healthy
· if necessary, using assistive devices to maintain oxygen levels, such as continuous positive
airway pressure masks, which a person can wear at home
· engaging in appropriate levels of physical activity to enhance lung function