Is respiratory failure uncomfortable?

Written by Li Fang Xiao
Internal Medicine
Updated on September 10, 2024
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Respiratory failure is quite uncomfortable, and clinically, the symptoms feel severe, and the patient's own state is also very affected. Respiratory failure is mainly caused by a decrease in oxygen partial pressure, during which time the patient may experience wheezing, chest tightness, and even a feeling of being near death. There are many causes of respiratory failure, with severe infections being common, such as severe pneumonia or sepsis. A systemic inflammatory response can lead to respiratory failure. Another situation is when heart failure occurs, which can also accompany pulmonary congestion, causing pulmonary ventilation dysfunction that can also lead to respiratory failure. The treatment of respiratory failure focuses on removing the causative factors and selectively choosing different treatment plans, which can start with oxygen therapy or the use of a ventilator in severe cases to correct hypoxemia and sustain life.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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What are the symptoms of respiratory failure?

Respiratory failure is a common critical illness in clinical settings, characterized by serious impairments in the lung's ventilation and gas exchange functions. What are the symptoms after respiratory failure? First and foremost, the earliest and most obvious symptom is difficulty breathing. Many patients experience significant difficulty breathing; severe cases may even involve orthopnea, profuse sweating, and inability to speak. Another important symptom is cyanosis, which is a typical manifestation of hypoxia. Additionally, there can be neuropsychiatric symptoms such as mental confusion, agitation, convulsions, and even coma. Other systems may also exhibit symptoms, such as tachycardia, arrhythmias, and decreased gastrointestinal function.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Classification of Causes of Respiratory Failure

Respiratory failure, if categorized by its cause, can be divided into pump failure and lung failure. Pump failure refers to the failure of the respiratory pump, which comprises the central nervous system that drives or regulates respiratory movement, the peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular tissues, and the thoracic cage, collectively known as the respiratory pump. Respiratory failure caused by dysfunction of these components is called pump failure. Another type is lung failure, which results from airway obstruction, pulmonary tissue and vascular pathology, and is termed lung failure. Lung failure can lead to type I or type II respiratory failure, whereas pump failure typically presents as type II respiratory failure.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Is asthma considered respiratory failure?

Asthma and respiratory failure are two distinct concepts. Asthma is a disease, whereas respiratory failure is a clinical outcome resulting from a series of diseases. During an acute asthma attack, there is also a possibility of respiratory failure occurring, and in severe cases, it can lead to serious respiratory failure requiring interventions like tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Therefore, acute asthma attacks require active intervention. Treatments often include nebulized inhalation of short-acting bronchodilators and even intravenous administration of corticosteroids to handle the acute episode. Short-term intravenous use of corticosteroids can also help in controlling the acute attack.

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Written by Peng Miao Yun
Internal Medicine
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Respiratory failure is a disease.

Respiratory failure is a condition caused by severe impairment of lung ventilation and gas exchange functions due to various reasons, leading to ineffective gas exchange. This results in hypoxia in the body, accompanied by either retention or non-retention of carbon dioxide, thereby causing a clinical syndrome of physiological and metabolic disorders. The causes of respiratory failure include diseases of the lung tissue, respiratory tract disorders, pulmonary vascular diseases, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, among other factors, all of which can lead to respiratory failure.

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Written by Peng Miao Yun
Internal Medicine
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Care for patients with respiratory failure

Patients with respiratory failure are always emergency and critically ill patients in clinical settings. For patients with respiratory failure, we need to pay close attention in nursing: first, strictly monitor the patient's vital signs, observe the frequency of respiration, blood pressure, and consciousness state; take good care of the skin and oral cavity to prevent dependent pneumonia and bedsores; and timely remove the patient’s sputum. Encourage conscious patients to cough more and expectorate sputum. For those with weak coughs, assist regularly with turning and patting the back to facilitate the removal of sputum. For comatose patients, mechanical suction or tracheostomy for mechanical ventilation can be performed. At the same time, avoid factors that can induce respiratory difficulty such as cold air and poor air circulation. Patients with respiratory failure consume a lot of energy, especially those on mechanical ventilation, who are in a stress state with increased catabolism. Therefore, daily protein intake should be increased, encourage the patient to eat more to enhance nutrition, and provide a diet high in protein, high in fat, and low in carbohydrates.