Ventilatory Failure By Bhakti K Patel, MD, University of Chicago Reviewed / Revised May 2022 | Modified Sep 2022 View Patient Education Pathophysiology Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Topic Resources The balance between load... Ventilatory failure is a rise in PaCO2 (hypercapnia) that occurs when the respiratory load can no longer be supported by the strength or activity of the system.