Respiratory failure - Conventional and high-tech support

Over the last 10 years, advances in the treatment of acute lung injury and the adult respiratory distress syndrome have affected the survival from thi s disease process. This improvement has occurred, in part, because of an im proved understanding of the pathophysiology of lung failure. Other advances in critical care-improved antibiotics, ventilators, and diagnostic and the rapeutic techniques-also have contributed to this improvement. "Cutting-edg e" technologic advances for the treatment of respiratory failure are presen ted in this article as alternative therapeutic modalities available to almo st every intensivist today.