12th January 2024

Differential Diagnosis

Due to varied clinical presentations of respiratory failure, a few differentials must be ruled out.

Type 1 respiratory failure (T1RF)

T1RF must be differentiated from other diseases that cause hypoxia, such as acute decompensated heart failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary oedema, pneumonia and lung fibrosis.

Type 2 respiratory failure (T2RF)

Different pathologies leading to hypercapnia should be ruled out, including COPD, opioid toxicity, myasthenia gravis, status asthmaticus, Guillain barre syndrome, etc.