Respiratory failure

Respiratory failure is a common complication of acute cardiorespiratory disease and exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease. It can be a feature of advanced chronic cardiac, respiratory and neurological diseases. Respiratory failure can manifest as hypoxaemia, hypercapnia or both. This article reviews the pathophysiology of these perturbations in respiratory homeostasis, the clinical features of acute and chronic respiratory failure and a brief discussion of the management.