COPD Complications: Respiratory Failure

Respiratory failure can be a complication of COPD and occurs when the lungs are unable to either inhale sufficient oxygen or successfully remove all of the carbon dioxide from the body. The latter can disrupt the acid-base balance[/link"> in the body.

Causes

Some common causes of respiratory failure include:

• Airway obstruction
• Head injury
• Pneumonia
• Asthma
• COPD
• Drugs, including narcotics (like morphine or vicodin) and benzodiazapines, especially when mixed with alcohol.
• Severe obesity

Symptoms

The following are symptoms of respiratory failure:

• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Lethargy
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
• Sleepiness

Diagnostic Evaluation

The following tests may be ordered to help form a diagnosis:

• Chest x-ray
• CT of the chest
• Arterial blood gases (ABGs)
• Laboratory testing of blood and other bodily fluids

Treatment

Because this is an emergency condition, treatment may include the following:

• Bronchodilators and steroids and possibly antibiotics
• Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (CPAP or BiPap)
• Oxygen therapy
• Placing the patient on a respirator or a non-invasive mask respirator

Prognosis

The prognosis of respiratory failure depends upon its cause and severity.

Prevention

Because smoking causes many of the lung diseases that lead to respiratory failure, it is best to not smoke and if you do, to quit immediately.

For more information on smoking cessation visit About.com's Quit Smoking site.

Other preventive methods include losing weight, if obese, and not combining medications with alcohol.

When to Contact a Healthcare Professional

Respiratory failure is a true medical emergency. Seek immediate medical attention if you have symptoms of this condition.

_Source:

A.D.A.M. http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Respiratory-acidosis.htm.

Smeltzer, S., Bare, B. Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Lippincott. 1996.