34- Respiratory Failure 1 and 2

KYJ34 - Resp Failure 1 & 2.

Today's post is really very simple, yet complicated by jargon by the medical world.
What is your concept of Respiratory Failure?

For many nurses, the notion of RF is a simple one defined by its title. Remember "respiration" is all about the exchange of gases.
So respiratory failure is a failure to maintain normal blood gas- ultimately, normal oxygen levels.

Hence, the definition of Respiratory Failure is a patient with PaO2 < 60mmHg (normal is 80-100)

Now once RF is determined, type 2 respiratory failure includes an altered Carbon Dioxide (PaCO2) level in and a reduced pH of arterial blood.
Specifically PaCO2 > 50mmHg ( normal is 35-45)
and
Lower pH than 7.35 (acidosis).

Functionally, a type 1 RF is a fairly acute condition like pneumonia, Pulmonary Oedema, PE, asthma, or low oxygen environments like high altitude climbers.

Type 2 RF, is seen in patients with chronic lung diseases like Mesothelioma, emphysema, COPD, and lung cancers.   These patients invariably started with Hypoxaemia, (the diagnostic criteria for RF) but their pathology, affects the excretion of CO2, and drop in pH in addition to the Hypoxaemia (PaO2 <60).

Recap-
RF1= low oxygen in blood
RF2= low oxygen in blood
and high CO2 (hypercapnoea)
and Low pH (acidosis)

What to do-- oxygenate.
Remember hypoxia kills, hypercapnoea happens!