Acute Respiratory Failure and ARDS: Pathophysiology, Ventilatory Strategies, and Emerging Therapies

This chapter offers a detailed and current review of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute respiratory failure, covering the biological mechanisms of diffuse alveolar injury, the Berlin definition and its clinical limitations, and lung-protective ventilation strategies supported by contemporary evidence. It evaluates adjunctive therapies including prone positioning, neuromuscular blockade, and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO), alongside emerging pharmacological approaches targeting the inflammatory and fibroproliferative phases of ARDS.