Question 1

[Melissa87]

Type 2 respiratory failure. Is it another condition or part of having copd?

[soulsaver]

Can be caused by COPD, amongst other things - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respi...

[Toci]

It certainly is not unusual in people with COPD, though it is a separate condition.

The underlying causes include:

Increased airways resistance (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, suffocation)

Reduced breathing effort (drug effects, brain stem lesion, extreme obesity)

A decrease in the area of the lung available for gas exchange (such as in chronic bronchitis)

Neuromuscular problems (Guillain-Barré syndrome, motor neuron disease)

Deformed (kyphoscoliosis), rigid (ankylosing spondylitis), or flail chest.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respi...

[Parvati]

Type 1 respiratory failure is a lack of oxygen alone and the usual treatment is with oxygen alone as is common in COPD.

Type 2 respiratory failure is a lack of oxygen plus an excess of carbon dioxide. The build up of carbon dioxide is cleared by using non-invasive ventilation. This can happen temporarily during a severe COPD exacerbation even to someone who is not usually 'on oxygen' - or it can be a long term situation even in stable COPD but not usually until at the very severe stage. You may still need carefully controlled oxygen alongside NIV.

So the answer to your question is yes - it is a part of having COPD.

[Hidden]

Helpful replies to your question, and a brilliant response by Parvati.