Respiratory failure has a high mortality rate and can easily lead to the impairment of multiple organ functions, seriously endangering the life of the patient. The mortality rate largely depends on whether the condition can be diagnosed and treated early. In cases of respiratory failure, if the progression is rapid and the body does not have particularly good metabolism, it can easily affect life. Acute respiratory failure is generally curable; it often occurs because carbon dioxide retention leads to hypoxia in the body. At this time, providing high-flow oxygen can effectively alleviate the symptoms and additional appropriate medication can be administered based on the condition to facilitate a return to normal.

However, chronic respiratory failure caused by conditions like chronic bronchitis and pulmonary heart disease are major causes of respiratory failure. In such cases, it is only possible to slow the progression of the disease; returning to a normal state is rather unlikely. Therefore, patients with chronic respiratory failure generally need long-term home oxygen therapy to ensure that the hypoxic condition can be improved.