Applied Physiology in Respiratory Mechanics

The publication deals with the management of critically ill patients, in which the use of sophisticated respiratory function monitoring and support equipment stresses the need to deeply analyse various aspects of respiratory physiology. There are mechanisms of ventilation setting, muscular fatigue, static and dynamic properties of the respiratory system, respiratory work, gas exchange and pulmonary perfusion. Advanced research on techniques supplying partial support to ventilation and applied pharmacology benefit from a better understanding of the factors and mechanisms regulating the respiratory function. It is therefore fundamental to stress the relevance for ICU physicians to plan a clinical approach increasingly oriented towards a customized ventilatory support, relying on applied reseach.