EMERGENT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY-FAILURE IN COPD

Acute respiratory failure in patients with COPD is a common cause of e mergent medical intervention and can be difficult to assess and manage . Assessment is complicated by the imposition of acute respiratory fai lure on chronic respiratory failure and by the large number of problem s that can tip a carefully compensated patient with COPD toward acute respiratory failure. Management must include correcting life-threateni ng hypoxemia and life-threatening acidosis, treating the underlying di sease processes, and preventing and treating complications. Management can be enhanced by an understanding of the prognosis of acute respira tory failure in COPD and by incorporation of some ethical and societal issues.