Chronic Respiratory Failure Criteria

What clinical criteria must be met for a patient in your institution to be diagnosed with Chronic Respiratory Failure?

We are particularly curious about:

  • Trach with HME only
  • Trach collar patients without oxygen supplementation
  • Trach collar patients with oxygen supplementation
  • Trach collar patient with oxygen supplementation only at night

Comments

  • We don't have institution specific guidelines, but given the examples above:

    -Trach with HME only: would not clarify for chronic respiratory unless receiving oxygen via HME 24/7
    -Trach collar without oxygen: would not clarify for chronic respiratory failure
    -Trach collar with oxygen supplementation: would consider based on risk factors, clinical picture
    -Trach collar with oxygen at night: would not clarify for chronic respiratory failure
  • I agree with the above.  In long term patients like this, the presence of a trach is a mechanical clinical consideration but it is not a consideration of respiratory function itself.

    You still need to look at the standard clinical indicators for respiratory failure to determine lung function and criteria.

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