[Update on current care guidelines: acute respiratory failure].

Acute respiratory failure is the most common organ failure leading to need of intensive care. The incidence of acute respiratory failure in adult population is 78-89/100000/year and mortality is 35-40 %. The preferred treatment modality in acute respiratory failure related to exacerbation of COPD is noninvasive ventilation. NIV reduces mortality of COPD and pulmonary oedema patients compared to plain oxygen therapy. However, the evidence of NIV's effect on mortality in more heterogenous group of hypoxemic patients is scarce. Key recommendations conserning invasive ventilation is to avoid tidal volumes over 7 ml/bodyweight and to use at least 5 cm H2O of PEEP.