Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a lifesaving intervention for patients with respiratory failure due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and septic shock.

ARDS was first recognized in the late 1960s, approximately 20 to 30 years after the implementation of the first generation of mechanical ventilators.

As stressed in the previously published first part of this review, understanding the underlying physiologic derangements leading to endotracheal intubation and MV is the most important aspect of managing mechanical ventilators.

In this review, we provide pragmatic recommendations for the MV management of ARDS and hypermetabolic diseases such as sepsis that are commonly managed by nonintensivist providers.

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