This book reviews the most recent developments in the patho-physiology and therapy of ventilatory failure. It containscontributions by twenty-five internationally recognized aut-horities on respiratory muscle function and investigatorsactively 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 andcomplete ventilatory assistance as well as new knowledge re-garding ventilatory control and fatigue during stressfulbreathing. The reader will find here a state-of-the-art re-view of the latest research and practical applications inthis most critical area of intensive care medicine.