lung and airway disorders
Respiratory Failure
Symptoms of Respiratory Failure
Hypoxemic respiratory failure and hypercarbic respiratory failure often cause similar symptoms. People are usually very short of breath. Low oxygen levels in the blood cause shortness of breath and result in a bluish coloration to the skin ( Cyanosis ) in light-skinned people and gray or whitish coloration in the mouth, around the eyes, and under the nails in dark-skinned people. Low oxygen levels, high carbon dioxide levels, and increasing acidity of the blood cause confusion and sleepiness. If the drive to breathe is normal, the body tries to rid itself of carbon dioxide by deep, rapid breathing. If the lungs cannot function normally, however, this breathing pattern may not help. Eventually, the brain and heart malfunction, resulting in drowsiness (sometimes to the point of becoming unconscious) and Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms (arrhythmias), both of which can lead to death. Some symptoms of respiratory failure vary with the cause. If the drive to breathe is abnormal (for example, after an overdose of alcohol or sedatives), people may be extremely sleepy, breathe too slowly, and quietly slip into a coma. A child with an obstructed airway due to the inhalation (aspiration) of a foreign object (such as a coin or a toy) may suddenly gasp and struggle for breath. 