CCRN Acute Respiratory Failure

CCRN Acute Respiratory Failure Overview

Respiratory failure is a condition in which your blood doesn’t have enough oxygen or has too much carbon dioxide. Sometimes you can have both problems.

When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen. The oxygen passes into your blood, which carries it to your organs. Your organs, such as your heart and brain, need this oxygen-rich blood to work well.

Another part of breathing is removing the carbon dioxide from the blood and breathing it out. Having too much carbon dioxide in your blood can harm your organs.

Signs and Symptoms

• An injury to your chest or ribs
• A drug or alcohol overdose, which can harm your brain and breathing
• Lung damage from breathing in fumes or smoke
• Lung disease or infection, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or pneumonia
• Muscle and nerve damage from conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal cord injuries, and stroke
• Scoliosis or other spine problems, which can affect bones and muscles involved in breathing
• Blocked blood flow to your lung, like with a blood clot

Causes

• Disorders of the spine, such as scoliosis
• Inhalation injuries, such as inhaling smoke from fires or fumes
• Lung-related conditions, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, or a pulmonary embolism
• Nerve or muscle conditions that affect a person’s ability to breathe, such as ALS, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, or stroke
• An overdose from drugs or alcohol
• Trauma to the chest, such as after a car accident

Risk Factors

• Long term respiratory problems
• Smoking
• Family History

Treatments

• Oxygen Therapy
• Ventilator
• Treat the underlying cause