Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is fundamentally a dysfunction of gas exchange and can be due to either inadequate carbon dioxide elimination causing hypercapnia or poor oxygen exchange and delivery causing hypoxemia. A variety of etiologies exist that cause ARF in the surgical patient, including previous lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, neurologic compromise of respiratory drive, nutritional and metabolic derangements that can alter respiratory metabolism and mechanics, direct lung injury, and infection. The type of surgery and the time since surgery are other key factors that influence medical decision making and that will influence priorities in the assessment and management of ARF. This review explores the full spectrum of ARF in the surgical patient, focusing particularly on its assessment and initial management. Figures illustrate algorithms in the approach to the surgical patient with ARF and show example radiographic images of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a common complication. Tables summarize indications for emergent intubation, key etiologies of ARF, and the evolving definitions of acute lung injury and ARDS.
Key words: acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute respiratory failure, hypercapnia, hypoxemia, mechanical ventilation
Pressure-controlled versus volume-controlled ventilation for acute respiratory failure due to acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)