What is respiratory failure?

What is respiratory failure?

Richard Sheldon (Medical Advisor to the CA State Respiratory Care Board) gives expert video advice on: What are the most common causes of respiratory failure?; What are the most common symptoms of respiratory failure? and more...

Respiratory failure is a condition where the lungs have failed and they failed either in one of two areas. They've either failed in their ability to bring oxygen into the bloodsteam in adequate amounts or they failed in their inability to clear CO2. C2 is the fumes of metabolism and if they accumulate too high can cause death. The process of moving your carbon dioxide levels in your bloodstream from normal up a place where it causes death, the intermediate stages will cause unconsciousness, inability to even function or think clearly. Just like oxygen, if it gets too low in your bloodstream can cause serious malfunctioning of not only of your brain but your heart and when it gets so low that it can no longer support metabolism or cellular respiration then the organism will die.