Abstract
The successful treatment of a patient with acute respiratory failure is a complex undertaking that requires clinical competence, evidence-based interventions, seamless coordination of care transitions, and transparent open communication among all members of the health care team. Many of the processes of care in these critically ill patients are reassuringly consistent across services, across hospitals, across health systems, and even across the country. Although the clinical course of such complicated patients can be extremely unpredictable, we are fortunate that the professional, technical, and psychosocial aspects of care for these patients can be relatively orderly, evidence-based, and transparent.