Hypoxaemia And Respiratory Failure

Question 1

What is respiratory failure?

Answer 1

Impairment in gaseous exchnage causing hypoxia with or without hypercapnia

Question 2

What type of respiratory failure is hypoventilation?

Answer 2

Type II

Question 3

Give 6 causes of chronic type II respiratory failure.

Answer 3

Myopathy 
MND 
Severe obesity 
Kyphoscoliosis 
Lung fibrosis 
Late COPD

Question 4

What a re som effects of hypoxaemia\?

Answer 4

CNS function impaired (confusion and irritability)
Cyanosis (blue discolouration of skin and mucous membranes)
Cardiac arrythmias
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (cor pulmonale can result)

Question 5

When does cyanosis start to presen?

Answer 5

> 50gm/l of unsat Hb

Question 6

What are some CNS effects of hypercapnia?

Why do you get bounding pulse?

Answer 6

Drowsiness, confusion, coma and flapping tremor

Peripheral vasodilation

Question 7

Give some conditions in which V/Q mismatch can occur?

Answer 7

Asthma 
Pneumonia
RDS in newborn 
Pulmonary oedema
pulmonary embolism

Question 8

Four causes of diffuse lung fibrosis

Answer 8

Idiopathic fibrosis alveolitis
Asbestosis
Extrinsic allergic alevolilitis
Pneumoconiosis

Question 9

What are the 2 mechanisms involved in respiratory failure in pulmonary oedema?

Answer 9

Diffusion defect

V?Q mismatch