Last Updated On: December 5, 2024
Respiratory arrest can take place when there is lack of oxygen or excessive carbon dioxide present in the body. This can occur due to several acute conditions. The symptoms can come overtime or instantly. This poses a serious threat as it can lead to acute respiratory problems.
This blog will discuss the signs, causes and the emergency treatment a person needs in case of respiratory arrest.
This is a medical emergency that impacts the breathing system. Along with respiratory distress, this can even lead to complete failure of the respiratory system. It needs immediate treatment or else it can be life-threatening.
You may have to go to a nearby ER or call 911 immediately. Keep reading to understand the signs and causes of breathing emergencies.
There are mainly 4 types of respiratory failures. These failures can be acute or chronic. The basic 4 types of failures are:
When there is insufficient oxygen in the blood, it can lead to hypoxic respiratory arrest. It is known as Type 1 Respiratory Failure. This can cause due to various conditions and block the airway completely causing airway obstruction. It will eventually hinder the lungs’ ability to exchange oxygen properly. When a person suffers from asthma attack or choking that blocks oxygen from reaching lungs, it is regarded as hypoxic respiratory arrest. It needs immediate attention to save life.
This Type 2 Respiratory Failure takes place when the body is unable to expel carbon dioxide effectively it leads to hypercapnic respiratory arrest. The body builds up carbon dioxide due to inadequate respiration. Conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or opioid overdose can cause this condition. An emergency respiratory care is needed to save the patient’s life.
This condition can happen as an effect of a surgery that needs full anesthesia. The dose can keep you from breathing properly and it can lead to air sacs in your lungs to collapse. This is a rare instance.
Shock is a condition that happens when there is low blood pressure, fluid build up in your lungs leading to sepsis or other conditions leading to respiratory failure. This can happen due to any accident where excessive blood loss can cause shock to your body. CPR for respiratory arrest can help in such situations.
Respiratory arrest can take place due to a lot of underlying medical conditions that can disrupt normal breathing. Some of the causes are:
A sudden heart attack that disrupts the oxygen circulation, a respiratory arrest can occur.
Brain’s ability to control breathing can be affected by neurological disorders. Due to damage to the respiratory centers of the brain, it can lead to a respiratory arrest.
Chronic respiratory diseases like COPD or asthma often limit the airflow to the lungs leading to respiratory failures.
Swelling of the airway or choking can cause airway obstruction. This blockage is a common cause of respiratory failure among adults as well as children.
There are pre-existing risk factors that can also lead to airway blockage and respiratory failure. Some of these are:
Your age plays an important role in respiratory arrests. Elderly people are at higher risk of encountering an attack. However, infants and young adults are also vulnerable to obstruction.
Excessive smoking or drinking can also make your heart vulnerable to an attack. Smoking can cause lung cancer and it is one of the common causes of deaths. High cholesterol due to drinking can be a contributor too.
Individuals facing pneumonia or sepsis can suffer from respiratory attack and need emergency respiratory care.
Some of the common symptoms of a respiratory failures are as follows:
If you find anyone with these symptoms and need immediate treatment, you can go for CPR for respiratory arrest if you have that knowledge. You must also call 911 without delay.
There are some immediate emergency steps that you can take and save a life. Let’s see what individuals can do in such scenarios.
You can take training on CPR if you are a caregiver or a healthcare professional. This training will help you to provide that emergency treatment on a patient suffering respiratory arrest.
You can include some preventive measures in your daily life to stay healthy and away from such conditions.
Respiratory arrest can happen at any time to any individual. The major cause behind this failure is an underlying health condition. Elderly people are at risk due to their age. However, infants and children can also face such attacks. Individuals with CPR training can handle the emergency situation. You can prevent this risk by staying healthy, going for regular check ups and quitting smoking.
For CPR training, you can enroll in a certificate course and get in-hand training about providing immediate aid to a person with life threatening conditions.
Read More- Normal Respiratory Rate in Adults: What You Need to Know
Read More- Recognizing Signs Of Respiratory Distress
