Editing Respiratory failure (section)

{{Short description|Inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system}}
{{Distinguish|respiratory arrest}}
{{Infobox medical condition
| name = Respiratory failure
| image = Respiratory failure.jpg
| caption = Anatomy and causes of respiratory failure
| field = [[Pulmonology]], [[Intensive care medicine]] 
| symptoms = [[Shortness of breath]], [[cyanosis]], [[tachycardia]], [[tachypnea]], [[arrhythmia]], [[headache]], [[hypertension]]
| complications = [[seizure]], [[fainting]], [[panic attack]], [[infection]]s, [[coma]]
| types = Type 1–4
| causes = [[Stroke]], [[cystic fibrosis]], [[COPD]], [[ARDS]], [[pneumonia]], [[pulmonary embolism]], [[neuromuscular disease]]s like [[ALS]]
| diagnosis = [[Arterial blood gas test]]
| differential = [[ARDS]], [[aspiration pneumonia]]
| treatment = Treatment of underlying cause, [[non-invasive ventilation]]
| frequency = 10–80 per 100,000
}}

'''Respiratory failure''' results from inadequate [[gas exchange]] by the [[respiratory system]], meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as [[hypoxemia]]; a rise in arterial [[carbon dioxide]] levels is called [[hypercapnia]]. Respiratory failure is classified as either Type 1 or Type 2, based on whether there is a high carbon dioxide level, and can be acute or chronic. In clinical trials, the definition of respiratory failure usually includes [[tachypnea|increased respiratory rate]], abnormal blood gases (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, or both), and evidence of increased work of breathing. Respiratory failure causes an [[altered state of consciousness]] due to [[Brain ischemia|ischemia in the brain]].

The typical [[partial pressure]] reference values are oxygen [[Blood gas tension|Pa]] [[Oxygen|{{chem|O|2}}]] more than 80 mmHg (11 kPa) and carbon dioxide [[Blood gas tension|Pa]] [[Carbon dioxide|{{CO2}}]] less than 45 mmHg (6.0 kPa).<ref name=mirabile/>