How does a respiratory failure differ from a respiratory arrest?

Timing: Respiratory arrest is a form of respiratory failure where no attempt is made to breathe. This is an emergency and respiratory support must be immediately performed. Respiratory failure refers to any process where the lungs, heart or thoracic cage are unable to supply an adequate amount of oxygen or eliminate carbon dioxide.

See below: Resp arrest refers to someone who stopped breathing for whatever reason. Resp failure means someone is struggling to breathe and needs support, usually by invasive or non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (cpap/bipap or the respirator). These terms may be interchangeable, i.e. If resp arrest patients are resuscitated, they will be in resp failure, and resp failure may progress to resp arrest.