Respiratory failure is a clinical syndrome in which the ventilation and ventilation of the lungs are impaired for various reasons, and effective gas exchange is not possible, resulting in hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention, thus causing a series of physiological and metabolic disorders. Respiratory failure is mainly caused by: 1) respiratory diseases, such as bronchial inflammation, bronchospasm, and foreign body aspiration, which block the airway and cause respiratory failure; 2) lung tissue lesions, such as severe pneumonia, tuberculosis, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis, and adult respiratory distress syndrome, which can cause respiratory failure; 3) pulmonary vascular diseases, such as pulmonary vascular obstruction, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, resulting in severe hypoxia; 4, due to thoracic lesions, such as thoracic trauma, surgical trauma, pneumothorax and pleural effusion affect the activity of the thorax, resulting in reduced ventilation, uneven inhalation of gas, affecting the ventilation function; 5, due to the nerve center and conduction system respiratory disorders resulting in respiratory failure, such as cerebrovascular disease, encephalitis, traumatic brain injury and drug poisoning These can cause respiratory failure and carbon dioxide retention. According to arterial blood gas analysis, respiratory failure can be classified into type I and type II respiratory failure, and according to the duration, acute respiratory failure and chronic respiratory failure can be classified. In conclusion, respiratory failure is a sign of a serious disease and needs to be treated promptly in a hospital, where a doctor can determine the condition and possible causes and carry out the appropriate rescue treatment.