Respiratory failure
INADEQUATE GAS EXCHANGE BY THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Lung failure; Respiratory insufficiency; Pulmonary failure; Respiratory paralysis; Chronic respiratory failure; Acute respiratory failure
Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial carbon dioxide levels is called hypercapnia.