Acute respiratory failure: Diagnosis, monitoring techniques, and therapeutics

Acute respiratory failure is not an uncommon problem of the critically ill neonatal foal. Diagnosis is based on arterial blood gas evidence of hypoxemia and hypercapnia, but there are multiple potential causes including airway obstruction, sepsis, cardiac anomaly, poor cardiac output, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, central nervous system disorders, and musculoskeletal problems. Monitoring techniques include arterial blood gas monitoring, pulse oximetry, infrared capnometry, and cardiac output determinations. Management of acute respiratory failure includes treatment of the underlying problem and optimization of ventilatory function.