Breathing is a fundamental component of life without which the sustainability of all body functions would be rendered obsolete. Therefore, in patient care, one of the most important assessments that all healthcare professionals must prioritize is the assessment of the patient's airway patency and respiratory function and, in doing so, identify and correct any potentially life-threatening abnormalities. . Maintaining the mechanics of breathing allows respiratory functions, vital to homeostatic balance, to remain prosperous and improve the prognosis of the patient in recovery. Throughout this essay the use of respiratory support techniques will be critically examined in terms of issues relating to the administration of invasive and non-invasive respiratory support techniques, the legal and ethical implications of mechanically ventilating patients, and the political influences on the withdrawal of medical treatment in the case of mechanically ventilated patient. Respiratory failure in patients can be the result of many different factors such as diseases or conditions that cause a malfunction in the mechanics of breathing and is defined by Hurst (2009) “as pulmonary gas exchange failure leading to hypoxemia with or without hypercapnia”. Clinical management of respiratory failure can be performed using noninvasive techniques such as oxygen therapy; continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and non-invasive ventilation. Invasive techniques for managing respiratory failure involve endotracheal intubation and ventilation of the patient. The patient's presentation will determine the level of respiratory intervention needed to maintain the patient's vital signs. The use of oxygen therapy is widely recognized as a way... middle of paper... Ms. B, the situation in which a patient decides to refuse life-sustaining treatment must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Until government and society decide to openly discuss withholding and withholding life-sustaining treatment, there will be uncomfortable court battles over the right to end life. As Lord Bingham (2001) stated when commenting on the case of Miss Pretty VS Director of Public Prosecutions (2001) “The wider issues raised by this appeal are a matter of deep and fully justified concern to very many people. The question of whether terminally ill patients, or others, should be free to seek assistance in taking their own lives, and, if so, under what circumstances and with what protections, have great social, ethical and religious significance and are questions on which compare widely divergences. beliefs and opinions are held, often forcefully”