Respiratory arrest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| ICD-10 | R09.2 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 799.1 |
Respiratory arrest is the cessation of the normal tidal flow of the lungs due to paralysis of the diaphragm, collapse of the lung or any number of respiratory failures. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Respiratory arrest is first treated with Artificial respiration until the patient is revived or advanced life care arrives.
Contents |
[edit] Primary
Primary respiratory arrest is caused by airway obstruction, decreased respiratory drive, or respiratory muscle weakness. Airway obstruction may be partial or complete; the most common cause in an unconscious or collapsed person is upper airway obstruction due to posterior tongue displacement into the oropharynx secondary to a loss of muscular tone. Other causes of upper airway obstruction include blood, mucus, vomitus, or foreign body; spasm or edema of the vocal cords; and pharyngolaryngeal inflammation, neoplasm, or trauma. Lower airway obstruction may occur after particulate aspiration of gastric contents, widespread severe bronchospasm, or extensive airspace-filling processes (eg, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary hemorrhage).
[edit] Secondary
Secondary respiratory arrest results from circulatory insufficiency.
[edit] Complete
Complete respiratory arrest manifests clinically as absence of spontaneous ventilatory movement in an unconscious person, often with associated cyanosis, but it may develop acutely in a conscious victim secondary to foreign body obstruction (eg, café coronary). If respiratory arrest is prolonged, cardiac arrest quickly follows because progressive hypoxemia impairs cardiac function. Impending respiratory arrest is characterized by a depressed sensorium and feeble, gasping, or irregular respirations, often with accompanying tachycardia, diaphoresis, and relative hypertension due to agitation and CO2 accumulation.
