Emergent assessment and management of acute respiratory failure in COPD.

Acute respiratory failure in patients with COPD is a common cause of emergent medical intervention and can be difficult to assess and manage. Assessment is complicated by the imposition of acute respiratory failure on chronic respiratory failure and by the large number of problems that can tip a carefully compensated patient with COPD toward acute respiratory failure. Management must include correcting life-threatening hypoxemia and life-threatening acidosis, treating the underlying disease processes, and preventing and treating complications. Management can be enhanced by an understanding of the prognosis of acute respiratory failure in COPD and by incorporation of some ethical and societal issues.