Respiratory Failure : The loss of lung function, either acute or chronic, that results in subnormal oxygenation of blood or abnormally increased carbon dioxide. The inability to breathe by a person's own means
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Emergency Response Safety and Health Database, Atlanta, GA, USA 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/ershdb/glossary.html#B, (Emr Resp Sfty and Hlth Database - Amer) {794}