[The respiratory therapist in the intensive care unit team].

Qualified respiratory therapists have been an integral part of the U.S. health care system for over 50 years now and are an indispensable part of the system. Respiratory therapy involves the entire respiratory system and should not to be confused with breathing therapy. The latter includes only certain breathing techniques. Since 2005, the German Respiratory Society also offers nurses and physiotherapists training in respiratory therapy. The core competencies of the numerous intensive care respiratory therapists employed in German intensive care units include, among others, the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic respiratory failure, including invasive and non-invasive respiratory therapy, excessive secretion management, including bronchoscopic airway clearance, and inhalation therapy.