Respiratory Failure in Head-Injured Children

Potential causes of respiratory failure in children with head injury include:

• Central neurologic injury -> depressed level of consciousness -> loss of airway protective reflexes
• Hypotension -> Decreased cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) -> Ischemia of respiratory center
• Midbrain or medullary contusion affecting respiratory center -> hypoventilation
• Transection of upper cervical spinal cord -> respiratory muscle paralysis -> respiratory failure