I live with my beautiful and triathlon-crazed wife, Dawn; my University of Wisconsin-Madison attending son, Bill; my professional tennis player daughter, Lauren; my still-figuring-out-what-to-do-with-his-life 13-year old, Jacob; and my two unruly and barely tame Boston terriers.
The signs and symptoms of acute respiratory failure reflect the underlying disease process and the associated hypoxemia or hypercapnia. Localized pulmonary findings reflecting the acute cause of hypoxemia (eg, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]), may be readily apparent.he major GI complications associated with acute respiratory failure are hemorrhage, gastric distention, ileus, diarrhea, and pneumoperitoneum. Stress ulceration is common in patients with acute respiratory failure; the incidence can be reduced by routine use of antisecretory agents or mucosal protectants.
Respiratory failure is the inability of the respiratory system to adequately supply fresh oxygen or remove carbon dioxide, resulting in low blood oxygen or high blood carbon dioxide levels, respectively. Multiple conditions can cause one or both of these problems. Acute or sudden respiratory failure can happen as the result of trauma, injury, drug or alcohol overdose, or inhalation of carbon monoxide. Chronic, or long-term, respiratory failure is commonly caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neuromuscular disease, or even morbid obesity.