Acute Respiratory Failure

Acute respiratory failure means that your lungs have stopped doing their normal function, which is

gas exchange

. If this happens, you will feel short of breath, tired, and confused. You might look bluish and even

go unconscious

. This can happen due to many reasons such as trauma to your chest,

infection in your lung

,

chronic lung diseases

,

pulmonary embolism

 and neurological diseases. It can also happen due to head trauma and drug or alcohol overdose.
Your doctor will diagnose this condition by asking you about your symptoms and past medical history, examining you, and running some blood tests including ones that will evaluate your blood gas content.
Symptoms

Abnormally rapid breathing

common

Difficulty breathing

  • Rapidly developing

common

Rapid heart rate

or Irregular heartbeat

common

Bluish discoloration of the skin

  • Lips, In hand, Fingernails, In feet

common

Confusion

common

Headache

  • Insidious

  • Chronic or persistent pain

common

Fatigue

common

Anxiety

or Feeling agitated

common

Feeling sleepy

common

Shaking

  • Both sides

  • Tremor of the hand when the wrist is extended

A sudden and temporary alteration of muscle tone, movements or behavior

  • Lasting 15 minutes or more, Lasting less than 15 minutes

  • More than a single episode in a 24 hours, Single episode in 24 hours

  • Focal, Generalized

or Fainting

Risk factors

Infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs

or Recent upper respiratory tract infection

or Infection in any part of urinary system

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Recent hospitalization

Smoking

Cystic fibrosis

Breathing stops involuntarily during sleep

Recent chest injury or trauma

Recent thoracic surgery

or History of cardiac surgery

Head injury

or Recent back injury or trauma

Burns

Anesthesia induction

or Use of sedative drugs

or Alcohol consumption

or Intravenous drug abuse

or Drug or substance abuse

History of Guillain-Barré syndrome

or History of myasthenia gravis

Recent blood transfusion

Treatment
Treatment of acute respiratory failure depends mainly on delivering oxygen to your lungs and vital organs. This can be done through

oxygen therapy

 or using a

ventilator

. It is also essential to treat the underlying cause of acute respiratory failure like treating pneumonia with antibiotics and treating pulmonary embolism with blood thinners.
Recommended specialist

If you have Acute Respiratory Failure, then visit a pulmonologist as soon as possible.

Contact a

Pulmonologist

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