respiratory insufficiency vs respiratory failure

[jlala]

Hello everyone ,
for pathophysiology I have to study respiratory insufficiency and failure . And I found these 2 definitions of respiratory insufficiency and failure :Respiratory failure is nearly any condition that affects breathing function or the lungs themselves and can result in failure of the lungs to function properly and respiratory insufficiency is a condition in which respiratory function is inadequate to meet the body's needs when increased physical activity places extra demands on it.
I just wanted to know the difference between insufficiency and failure because both definitions look kind of the same , is the main difference that failure is more serious than insufficiency ? What can cause respiratory insufficiency and what can can cause respiratory failure ?
Thanks in advance for the help

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[Instatewaiter]

in practice they are used pretty interchangably.

Insufficiency should come before failure. So asthma can cause respiratory insufficiency and if it got worse and required intubation it would have caused respiratory failure.

 

[jlala]

Thanks for your answer . I wasn't sure if it meant the same or not .

 

[CaliforniaBabe]

It's just a spectrum..

Respiratory insufficiency comes before failure as mentioned in post #2

 

[worldbeater]

Remember for any acid base questions that involve respiratory problems, look at your CO2. It's an acid, and will help you differentiate which way the pH is going.