A common symptom of respiratory depression is taking breaths that are slower and shallower than normal. In most cases, breathing rates are as low as 8–10 breaths per minute. The normal breathing rate of a healthy adult is 12–20 breaths per minute.
Respiratory Depression Treatment
Oxygen therapy, which delivers oxygen gas to support breathing. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine to keep airways open while sleeping. Surgery to correct chest deformity. Weight loss including surgery and medication.
The symptoms of respiratory failure depend on the cause and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood. A low oxygen level in the blood can cause shortness of breath and air hunger (the feeling that you can't breathe in enough air). Your skin, lips, and fingernails may also have a bluish color.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious lung condition that causes low blood oxygen. People who develop ARDS are usually ill due to another disease or a major injury. In ARDS, fluid builds up inside the tiny air sacs of the lungs, and surfactant breaks down.
If you have a health condition that causes low levels of oxygen in your blood (hypoxia), you may feel breathless and tired, particularly after walking or coughing. Fluid may also build up around your ankles (oedema) and you may have blue lips (cyanosis).
Signs and Symptoms
Increased breathing rate - Count the number of breaths for one minute. Is your child breathing faster than usual? Retractions - Check to see if the chest pulls in with each breath, especially around the collarbone and around the ribs. Nasal flaring - Check to see if nostrils widen when breathing in.
Other medical conditions, injuries, or medical procedures can raise your risk for ARDS. These may include: Inhaling vomit, smoke, chemical fumes, or water during a near drowning. Injury: An injury from a blow, burn, or broken bone can lead to ARDS.
If shortness of breath happens when you're clearly not exerting yourself, when you're doing something you normally could do without feeling winded, or comes on suddenly, those are warning signs that a heart issue could potentially be to blame.
As respiratory failure worsens, a person may exhibit no effort to breathe, or stop breathing altogether. People in respiratory distress, by contrast, continue exerting immense effort to breathe.
If you experience shortness of breath that is so severe that it interferes with activities of daily living or function, call 911 for an ambulance or have someone drive you to the ER immediately.
Pulse oximetry is the most commonly available monitor of respiratory depression presently used in hospital systems.
A bluish color seen around the mouth, on the inside of the lips, or on the fingernails may occur when a person is not getting as much oxygen as needed. The color of the skin may also appear pale or gray. Grunting. A grunting sound can be heard each time the person exhales.
Hypoxia is low levels of oxygen in your body tissues. It causes symptoms like confusion, restlessness, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, and bluish skin. Many chronic heart and lung conditions can put you at risk for hypoxia. Hypoxia can be life-threatening.
severe shortness of breath. rapid, shallow breathing. tiredness, drowsiness or confusion. feeling faint.
Arterial blood gas (ABG) is the gold standard for diagnosing respiratory failure. At a minimum, the information obtained from an ABG includes pH, partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2), and serum bicarbonate (HCO3).
Wheezing. A tight, whistling or musical sound heard with each breath can mean that the air passages may be smaller (tighter), making it harder to breathe.
Fluid buildup in the lungs or pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in your lungs) Infections in your brain or spinal cord (such as meningitis ), lungs (such as pneumonia), or airways (such as bronchiolitis) Blocked airway when food or another object gets stuck in your airways.
The most common cause of respiratory depression is taking high doses of drugs or drug overdose. Certain drugs can cause respiratory depression when you take doses higher than recommended by your doctor or if they're mixed with other substances.
Respiratory depression can precede serious cardiovascular conditions such as respiratory arrest (cessation of breathing), cerebral hypoxia (insufficient oxygen to the brain) or respiratory acidosis (high levels of acid in the blood due to increased carbon dioxide in the body), which can lead to premature death.
Respiratory depression: another term for hypoventilation, meaning that ventilation of the lungs is inadequate to perform needed gas exchange.