Approach to respiratory failure in emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this review is to provide update recommendations that can be used by emergency physicians who provide primary cares to patients with Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF), from the admission to an emergency department through the first 24 to 48 hours of hospitalization. This work wants to address the diagnosis and emergency medical care of ARF and the management of medical complications.


BACKGROUND
A lot of statement has been developed for the early management and treatment of ARF; moreover, over the last fifteen years, we have assisted to the rise of a new technique of ventilation, in the Emergency Department: Non Invasive Ventilation. This kind of ventilation was firsthy applied in intensive Care and in Respiratory Care Unit. Randomized controlled clinical trials have showed its usefulness in the early treatment of several forms of ARF, together with medical therapy.
Forte
P
P
Department of Emergency Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. paforte@libero.it
Mazzone
M
M
Portale
G
G
Falcone
C
C
Mancini
F
F
Silveri
N Gentiloni
NG
D000208:Acute Disease; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D000465:Algorithms; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011859:Radiography; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*
D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids