Is respiratory failure serious?
Respiratory failure is a relatively severe disease, with the most common causes being chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure, which are frequently seen in clinical settings. Respiratory failure can be definitively diagnosed by performing blood gas analysis. Clinically, patients will exhibit symptoms of breathing difficulty, such as orthopnea or wheezing. In blood gas analysis, oxygen saturation is often below 90%, and the partial pressure of oxygen is less than 60 mmHg. These indicators can diagnose respiratory failure. Although respiratory failure is a serious condition, it can be recoverable through active symptomatic treatment, identifying the underlying cause, and eliminating aggravating factors.