Definition of Respiratory Failure using PaO2 alone is confounded when patients are commenced on oxygen therapy prior to arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement. Furthermore, classification of Respiratory Failure as Type 1 or Type 2 using PaCO2 alone can give an inaccurate account of events as both types can co-exist. 100 consecutive presentations of acute respiratory distress were assessed initial...

This is the first in a two-part unit on acute respiratory failure. Part 1 explores respiratory failure and its causes and identifies ways of recognising patients in acute respiratory failure.

Background Neonatal respiratory distress is one the most common problems in the first few day of neonatal life. The present study intended to determine the frequency of the causes and outcomes of respiratory distress in neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Hamadan city, Iran. Materials and Methods In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, all the neonates wi...

Sleep related respiratory dysfunction and vocal cord paralysis are considered to be the major factors responsible for respiratory failure in multiple system atrophy (MSA). We report a patient initially presenting with alveolar hypoventilation culminating in respiratory failure, ultimately diagnosed as MSA. No central sleep apnea or marked paralysis of the vocal cords was noted. The most likely ...

Extraosseous accumulation of technetium-99m-methyl diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) on bone scan is not common. This phenomenon is often attributed to abnormality of calcium metabolism and has been reported in a variety of conditions including metabolic diseases and malignancies. A five years old boy is presented here, who was admitted to the pediatric emergency suffering from fatigue, respiratory sym...

PURPOSE Acute respiratory failure is a relatively common complication in surgical patients, especially after abdominal surgery. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used in the treatment of acute respiratory failure. We have assessed the usefulness of NIV in surgical patients with acute respiratory failure. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients who were ...

The pathophysiology of failure to wean from mechanical ventilation consists of depressed central respiratory drive, impaired respiratory mechanics, respiratory muscle weakness, increased load, impaired gas exchange, and compromised cardiovascular performance. Among patients with weaning failure, depressed central respiratory drive occurs in only a small portion (approximately 10%),1 whereas mos...