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Resident Resp Failure Lecture
Resident Resp Failure Lecture
Daniel Sloniewsky, MD
Associate Professor
Division of Critical Care
Department of Pediatrics
Stony Brook University Hospital
Definitions: Acute Respiratory
Failure
ARF is the inability of the respiratory system to
deliver O2 and remove CO2 at a sufficient rate to
meet the body’s metabolic demands
ABG abnormalities
– PaCO2 > 55 mm Hg (with low pH)
– PaO2 < 60 mm Hg
– SaO2 < 90% (in absence of cyanotic CHD)
Problems with Oxygenation
Hypoxemia: Decrease in tissue O2 delivery
– Hypoxic Hypoxemia -- Lung Disease
– Ischemic Hypoxemia -- Decreased Blood Flow
-- DO2 = O2 content x Cardiac Output
– Anemic Hypoxemia -- Decreased O2-Carrying
Capacity
-- O2 Content = (1.39 x HgB x SaO2) + (0.003)
(PaO2)
Hypoxic Hypoxemia: Where is the
problem?
FIO2 (Ex. Altitude)
Decreased Air Entry
-- Sedation (Ex. Opioid Overdose)
-- Respiratory Muscle Weakness (Ex. SMA)
-- Airway Obstruction (Ex. Croup, Asthma, etc)
V/Q Mismatches (Ex. Atelectasis, ARDS)
Shunting (Ex. CHD, pulmonary hypertension)
Diffusion Abnormalities (Ex. Pulmonary Fibrosis,
ARDS)
Acute Respiratory Failure:
Problems with Ventilation
Hypercapnea (increased CO2) can be seen with:
1. Increased Dead Space (areas not involved in
gas exchange) (Ex. Asthma, Pulmonary HTN)
2. Decreased Alveolar Ventilation
- Decreased Tidal Volume or Respiratory Rate
(Ex. Coma, Overdose, MG, ARDS, etc)
3. Obstructed Airways (Ex. Asthma)
4. Increased CO2 production (Ex.
Burns,Overfeeding)
Mental Status
Chronic
Hypoxemia/Hypercarbia
Clinical signs/lab evidence of chronic
hypoxia:
-- Clubbing – seen with chronic hypoxemia
-- What might you see on abdominal
exam?
-- Labs: Polycythemia
Lab evidence of hypercarbia
Hypoxic Hypoxemia: How to
Diagnose
Pulse oximetry – How does it work? What
are its limitations?
Ex. 7.35/28/80/-15
Arterial Blood Gas, pH, and
Ventilation
pH > 7.45 with low CO2: respiratory alkalosis
pH < 7.45 with low CO2: compensated
respiratory alkalosis
pH > 7.45 with high bicarb: metabolic
alkalosis
pH < 7.45 with high bicarb: compensated
metabolic alkalosis
How to Approach an ABG
First – Is this an arterial or venous blood gas?
Second - does the patient have an acidosis or an
alkalosis
– Look at the pH
Third, what is the primary problem – metabolic or
respiratory
– Look at the pCO2
– If the pCO2 change is in the opposite direction of
the pH change, the primary problem is respiratory
– You never overcompensate
How to Approach an ABG
Next, don’t forget to look at the
effectiveness of oxygenation, (and look at
the patient)
– your patient may have a significantly
increased work of breathing in order to
maintain a “normal” blood gas
– metabolic acidosis with a concomitant
respiratory acidosis is concerning
Case 1
Sameer got into some of Dad’s barbiturates.
He suffers a significant depression of
mental status and respiration. You see
him in the ER 3 hours after ingestion with
a respiratory rate of 12. A blood gas is
obtained. It shows pH = 7.16, pCO2 = 70,
HCO3 = 22
Case 1
What is the acid/base abnormality?
1. Uncompensated metabolic acidosis
2. Compensated respiratory acidosis
3. Uncompensated respiratory acidosis
4. Compensated metabolic alkalosis
Case 2
You are evaluating a 15 year old female in the
ER who was brought in by EMS from school
because of abdominal pain and vomiting.
Review of system is negative except for a 10 lb.
weight loss over the past 2 months and polyuria
for the past 2 weeks. She has no other medical
problems and denies any sexual activity or drug
use. On exam, she is alert and oriented,
afebrile, HR 115, RR 26 and regular, BP 114/75,
pulse ox 95% on RA.
Case 2
Exam is unremarkable except for mild abdominal
tenderness on palpation in the midepigastric
region and capillary refill time of 3 seconds. The
nurse has already seen the patient and has sent
off “routine” blood work. She hands you the
result of the blood gas. pH = 7.21 pCO 2= 24
pO2 = 45 HCO3 = 10 BE = -10 saturation =
72%
Case 2
What is the blood gas interpretation?
1. Uncompensated respiratory acidosis with
severe hypoxia
2. Uncompensated metabolic alkalosis
3. Combined metabolic acidosis and respiratory
acidosis with severe hypoxia
4. Metabolic acidosis with respiratory
compensation
Case 3
10 year old with history of ALL and
neutropenia presents with tachypnea. He
has no O2 requirement but is breathing 30
– 40 times/minute. Lung exam (other than
the tachypnea) is normal. CXR shows no
infiltrate. An ABG is done: 7.45/30/90/22
on room air. Does this patient need a
bronchoscopy to diagnose his respiratory
compromise? Why or why not?
Case 3
Answer: No; This is a trick question
because he doesn’t have respiratory
compromise
The patient is tachypneic for some other
reason than acidosis, hypercarbia, or
hypoxia (i.e. increased intracranial
pressure, burgeoning sepsis, etc)
Other Laboratory Findings in ARF
CXR Abnormalities
Complete Blood Count (look at WBC and
Hgb, which may suggest chronic hypoxia)
Electrolyte Abnormalities (look at
bicarbonate)
Foreign Body Aspiration
Right Lung
Atelectasis
Left Lung
Pneumonia
with Effusion
Pneumothorax
ARDS
(Bilateral
Infiltrates)
Flail Chest
A Case of Hypoxia
4 yo presents to the ER with fever and cough. On examination, the patient has
the following vital signs: T 39.9, P 130, RR 32, O 2 sats 87-90% on RA, Nl BP’s
PE: Lungs – tachypneic with good breathing effort, clear lung sounds,
Cardiac -- 2/6 SEM at LSB, good pulses in all extremities
Extremities -- mild clubbing of fingers and toes
RA = 78.5
100% FIO2 (through NRB) > 353
You should try to keep the FIO2 < 60%, the PIP <
35-40 cm H20, and the TV ~6-8 cc/kg
Mechanical Ventilation:
Terminology
Mean Airway Pressure (MAP): the average
pressure over a respiratory cycle, measured at
the proximal airway
Oxygenation
– determined by FIO2 and Mean Airway
Pressure
– MAP is determined by PEEP, PIP, and
inspiratory time (I time)
Ventilation
– determined by rate and TV
– rate x TV = MV
Mechanical Ventilation --
Supportive Care
Nutrition
HOB up at 30o
Suctioning/Chest PT
Mechanical Ventilation --
Monitoring
ABG/VBG
Pulse-oximetry
Atelectasis
Fluid Retention