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Acute Respiratory Failure Cheat Sheet by

Adult Health 2

Acute Resp. Failur­e/Acute Lung Injury

ARF: sudden deteri­oration in pulmonary gas exchange = CO
2
retention & inadequate oxygen­ation
paO
2
< 60 mmHg
(should be 80-100)
paCO
2
60 mmHg
(should be 35-45)
arterial pH < 7.35
(pts usually acidotic)

Causes

Direct
Indirect
Aspiration
Sepsis
Pneumonia
Burns
Contus­ion­s/t­rauma
Truama
Upper airway
obstru­ction
TRALI
Toxic inhalation
Drug reacti­on/OD
SARS
Cardio­pulm. bypass
 
Pancre­atitis
 
Multiple fractures
 
Lung/bone marrow tx

Stages of ARF

Stage 1: inc. SOB, RR, few CXR changes... within 24 hr signs of ARDS (CXR changes)
- Tachyp­neic, dyspneic
Stage 2 (Exuda­tive): vent. required
- Address underlying issues
Stage 3 (Proli­fer­ative): hemody­nam­ically unstable
- Can't maintain BP, tachy, compen. mechan­isms, inflam­mation & cascade of events
Stage 4 (Fibrotic): lung fibrosis issues; vent. management issues
- Dec. compli­ance, stiffness

Types of Respir­atory Failure

Type 1 - Acute Hypoxemic: abnl. transport of O
2
w/ resultant inadequate oxygen­ation
Type 2 - Hyperc­apnic: inadequate alveolar ventil­ation; marked elevation in paCO
2
Type 3 - Mixed Hypoxe­mic­-Hy­per­capnic: inadequate alveolar ventil­ation & abnormal O
2
transport

- Often most common type

Management of ARF

Warrants immediate interv­ention!
GOALS:
Correct the cause
Alleviate hypoxemia & hyperc­apnia

Indica­tions for Intubation

Altered mental status or coma
Severe respir­atory distress
Extremely low or agonal RR (gasping)
- Cerebral issue r/t O
2
Obvious respir­atory muscle fatigue - r/t inc. work of breathing = mechanical vent.
Peripheral cyanosis - fingers, lips dusky
Impending cardio­pulm. arrest - heart starts to compensate (tachy, arryth­mias) cardiac arrest
Better to intubate electively rather than emerge­ntly!
Mechanical vent. - helps to breathe, protects airway
 

Systemic Inflam­matory Response Syndrome (SIRS)

2+ of...
Temp. > 100.4oF (38oC) or 98.6oF (36oC)
HR > 90 bpm
RR > 20 breath­s/min or paCO
2
< 32
WBC > 12,000 or < 4,000 or/ >10% bands
Older adults - inc. risk for MODS w/ less chance of recovery from ARDS

Acute Respir­atory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Severe end of continuum
Complex syndrome w/ high mortality risk
Precip­itated by direct or indirect lung injury
Pathop­hys­iology:
Lung injury Dec. blood flow to lungs (inflamm. mediators thin lung lining) Alveolar membrane damage (membranes thicken, gases can't exchange)
Inc. membrane protein permea­bility ("Leak syndro­me"; changes osmotic pressure) Inters­titial & intra-­alv­eolar edema (alveolar area flooded = pulm. edema) Further impaired oxygen­ation Pulm. edema Inflamm. changes can lead to fibrosis (may cause permanent lung change)
Surfactant gets lost & makes process worse...
- Dec. gas exchange
- Dec. lung compliance (resis­tance, pressure)

ARDS (cont.)

Symptoms can develop very quickly after lung insult
Assessment:
- Accessory muscle use
- Tachypneic
- Tachyc­ardia
- Restless, air hunger = change in O
2

- Confusion
- New/wo­rsening lung sounds (crackles, wheezes) steroids
- Change in SpO
2
- Lethargy (lose ability to protect airway)
- Dyspnea
- At risk for arrythmias
- Change in renal status
Bolded are the earliest signs

ARDS Diagnostic Criteria

paO
2
-FiO
2
ratio < 200
- shunt formula; normally > 300
B/L infilt­rates on CXR - white out
Elevated serum lactate levels - indicates anaerobic metabo­lism, tissue hypoxia
No cariac etiology for pulm. edema
Deteri­oration of ABG's despite interv­ention - resistant to O
2

ARDS Management

GOALS:
- Correct the cause
- Prevent further damage
- Supportive care
Care bundles to improve outcomes
5 P's of ARDS:
- Perfusion (max O
2
transport)
- Position
- Protective lung vent.
- Protocol weaning
- Prevent compli­cations
Mechanical ventil­ation
Fluid status: RA/CVP, JVD, BP, urinary output
 

Mechanical Ventil­ation

Improves O
2
, figures out CO
2
, buys time
Lowest FiO
2
possible, smallest TV possible
Modes of MV:
- Volume cycled: pushes air in until preset volume delivered
- Time cycled: pushes air in until preset time reached
- Assist modes: pt can assist but vent can take over work of breathing
- Pressure support: weaning mode; depends on pt's breathing (used for weaning)
- Pressure control: preset volume (based on age, sex, height)
- Airway Pressu­re-­Release Ventil­ation (APRV)
Weaning ASAP!
- Infection
- Dependent on machine
- Muscles dependent
- Vent may cause trauma (barot­rauma, pressure trauma)
Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP): back pressure prevents alveolar collapse; helps to keep fluid out of alveoli
- Inc. PEEP = inc. intrat­horacic pressure dec. perfusion = dec. CO
- Affected intrat­horacic pressure = organ failure

Management of Ventilated Patients

3 Priori­ties:
1) Monitor & evaluate pt response
- Vent setting, trach approp­riately
- Assess s/s of distress (lung sounds, chest expansion, ABC & disync­hrony r/t proper setting [change vent settings])
2) Manage vent safely
- Not alone, daily CXR for placement
3) Prevent compli­cations
- Oral care (dec. bacteria), turn & repo. (changes lung perfusion), VAP protocol (elevate HOB >30o, aspiration precau­tions), DVT prophy­laxis, skin care
Note:
- Breath sounds should be equal & symm.
- Document safety, measur­ement
Proning: no shock, inc. ICP, unstable spine
Pharma­cot­herapy:
- Antibi­otics (if known microo­rga­nism)
- Bronch­odi­lators (airway patency)
- Surfac­tant? (not really used, expensive)
- Cortic­ost­eroids? (immun­osu­ppr­essed, glycemic control)
- Diuretics (dec. lung/g­eneral edema, watch electr­olytes)
- Neurom­uscular blocking agents (paralytic agents, sedatives = dec. work of breathing)
- Flolan? (new; inc. flow, V/Q mismatch)
- Epinep­hrine
- Low dose dopamine
Ex. Neurom­uscular Blocking Agents - propophol, Nimbex, + inotropes
+ Inotropes: dilate vascular bed = inc. CO (dibut­amine, watch for dec. BP - r/t dose; vasopr­essors)
Nutrition:
- Dec. mortality, days of not eating prophy­lactic enzyme release
- Avoid inc. carb feeds
Prevent compli­cations - VAP, SIRS, MODS, DVT, infection, skin breakdown

Nursing Diagnoses

ARDS
Mechanical Vent
Impaired gas exchange
Risk for infection
Dec. tissue perfusion
Risk for injury - r/t airway
Airway clearance
Risk for injury - r/t immobility
NO ineffe­ctive breathing pattern
               
 

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