Pathophysiology of Respiratory Insufficiency

Abstract

This chapter will discuss the pathophysiology of the two types of respiratory failure type 1 and type 2, also known as hypoxic type and hypercapnic type respectively, which will help in understanding how respiratory diseases emerge. The next few pages will go through anatomy, physiology, and mechanisms of developing hypoxia and hypercapnia. This will be the fundamental of respiratory diseases. Diseases that can cause any type of respiratory failure will be mentioned without going into detail as it has a separate chapter. Hypoxia can be caused by V/Q mismatch, right-to-left shunt, and diffusion restriction. Hypoventilation can result in both hypoxic and/or hypercapnic types.