What Causes Respiratory Failure?
What Causes Respiratory Failure?
Underlying Problem |
Cause |
|
Abnormality of the chest wall |
|
|
Abnormality of lung tissue |
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a drug reaction, pneumonia, pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs) due to heart failure or kidney failure, pulmonary fibrosis, radiation, sarcoidosis, or widespread tumors |
|
Airflow obstruction |
Asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, or inhaled foreign objects |
|
Muscle weakness |
|
|
Poor breathing (decrease in the drive to breathe) |
Drug or alcohol intoxication, hypothyroidism, obesity, or sleep apnea |