Anaesthetic considerations in respiratory failure
Preoperative Assessment & Planning Determine type of respiratory failure: Type I (hypoxemic) vs. Type II (hypercapnic) - critical for management strategy Comprehensive respiratory history: Duration, severity, triggers, current medications, recent exacerbations Pulmonary function tests: FEV1, FVC, DLCO to assess severity and predict postoperative complications Arterial blood gas analysis: Baseline PaO 2 , PaCO 2 , pH to guide intraoperative management Optimize respiratory status preoperatively: Treat infections, optimize bronchodilators, consider pulmonary rehabilitation Assess comorbidities: Cardiac function, renal status, nutritional state which may be affected by chronic respiratory disease Review imaging: Chest X-ray, CT scans to identify anatomical abnormalities affecting ventilation Smoking cessation: At least 4-8 weeks before surgery to reduce complications Intraoperative Ma...