Respiratory failure facts for kids

Mechanical ventilator

Respiratory failure is a serious health problem where your lungs can't get enough oxygen into your blood, or can't remove enough carbon dioxide. This makes it hard for your body to work properly. Because it's so important for your body to get oxygen, respiratory failure is a medical emergency. This means it needs quick medical help, similar to how doctors help someone who needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

What is Respiratory Failure?

Your lungs are like sponges that take oxygen from the air you breathe and put it into your blood. They also take a waste gas called carbon dioxide out of your blood and send it out when you breathe. When you have respiratory failure, this important job isn't happening well. This can lead to your body not getting the oxygen it needs to survive.

Types of Respiratory Failure

Doctors classify respiratory failure in different ways. One way is by what causes the problem:

Breathing Blockages

• Obstructive respiratory failure happens when something blocks or narrows the air passages in your lungs. It's like trying to breathe through a pinched straw.
  • Examples:
    • Asthma: This is a condition where your airways can get swollen and narrow, making it hard to breathe.
    • Cystic fibrosis: This disease causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in your lungs, blocking the airways.

Limited Lung Space

• Restrictive respiratory failure occurs when your lungs can't expand fully, or the space around them is reduced. This means your lungs can't hold as much air.
  • Example:
    • Scoliosis: This is when your spine curves to the side. A severe curve can sometimes squeeze your lungs and make it harder for them to expand.

Air Taking the Wrong Path

• Traumatic respiratory failure happens when air goes where it shouldn't, often after an injury.
  • Examples:
    • Pneumothorax: This is when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall, causing the lung to collapse.
    • Hemothorax: This is similar to pneumothorax, but it's blood that collects in the space around your lung, making it hard for the lung to expand.

How Quickly It Develops

Respiratory failure can also be classified by how fast it starts:

• Chronic respiratory failure develops slowly over time. Your body might try to get used to it, but it still needs treatment.
• Acute respiratory failure happens very quickly. This is often a sudden and dangerous situation that needs immediate medical attention.

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  A robot representing kids' health information.

See also

In Spanish: Insuficiencia respiratoria para niños