This book reviews the most recent developments in the patho- physiology and therapy of ventilatory failure. It contains contributions by twenty-five internationally recognized aut- horities on respiratory muscle function and investigators actively contributing to our knowledge of the cause, diagno- sis and therapy of ventilatory failure. Of particular inter- estare the descriptions of new modalities of partial and complete ventilatory assistance as well as new knowledge re- garding ventilatory control and fatigue during stressful breathing. The reader will find here a state-of-the-art re- view of the latest research and practical applications in this most critical area of intensive care medicine.

Inhalt
Ventilatory Failure: An Overview.- Extrapulmonary and Intrapulmonary Determinants of Pulmonary Gas Exchange.- Control of Ventilation and Response to Loading.- Diagnosing the Adequacy of Neural Stimulation.- Role of Extradiaphragmatic Musculature in Breathing.- Respiratory Failure: Dynamics of Breathing and Coordination.- Assessment of Respiratory Muscle Strength.- Ventilatory Muscle Fatigue and Failure.- Training and the Respiratory Muscles.- Pharmacotherapy of the Respiratory Muscle.- Nutrition and Ventilatory Failure.- Dynamic Hyperinflation.- Disorders of the Chest Wall: Implications for Respiratory Failure.- Pathophysiology of Ventilatory Failure in Patients with Neuromyopathies.- Risk Factors for Ventilatory Failure in Infants and Children.- Controlled Ventilation: Targets, Hazards and Options.- Techniques of Ventilation Using Constant Flow.- Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal in ARDS.- Augmentation of Blood Gas Transfer by Means of an Intravascular Blood Gas Exchanger (IVOX).- Weaning Assessment.- Proportional Assist Ventilation and Pressure Support Ventilation: Similarities and Differences.- Pressure Support Ventilation.- The Role of PEEP in the Mechanically Ventilated COPD Patient.- Which Patients Need a Weaning Technique?.- Ventilatory Failure: Innovative Support Techniques.- Airway Pressure Release Ventilation and BIPAP.