Respiratory Therapy is a specialized health care field where practitioners are trained in pulmonary medicine in order to work therapeutically with people suffering from pulmonary disease.
A day in the life of an RT
- Assessing patients for lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment modalities.
- Interviewing patients and doing chest physical exams to determine what kind of therapy is best for their condition.
- Consulting with physicians to recommend a change in therapy, based on your evaluation of the patient.
- Analyzing breath sounds, measuring vital signs, and drawing arterial blood to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
- Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
- Responding to Code Blue or other urgent calls for care.
- Educating patients and families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.
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Where we can help you
In hospitals giving breathing treatments to people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
In intensive care units managing ventilators that keep the critically ill patients alive.
In emergency rooms delivering life-saving treatments.
In newborn and pediatric units helping children with conditions ranging from premature birth to cystic fibrosis.
In operating rooms working with anesthesiologists to monitor patients’ breathing during surgery.
In patient’s homes providing regular check-ups and making sure people have what they need to stay out of the hospital.
In skilled nursing facilities and pulmonary rehabilitation programs helping older people breathe easier and get more out of life.
In air transport and ambulance programs rushing to rescue people in need of immediate medical attention.
Specialized Care
Long term care
Long-term care RTs work in skilled nursing facilities, subacute care centers, rehab hospitals, and other types of long-term care facilities. RTs in this area work with post acute and chronic disease patients who range in age from the very old to the very young.
Neonatal-Pediatrics
Neonatal-pediatric RTs work in children’s hospitals and general hospitals with neonatal-pediatric wards. Neonatal respiratory care involves treating and monitoring newborns for breathing disorders. A neonatal RT might monitor the breathing of premature babies, treat infants born with pulmonary diseases or disorders, or respond to the unique respiratory care needs of an infant in an emergency.
Pediatric RTs work with toddlers and older children, providing breathing treatments and other care for children with asthma, cystic fibrosis, and a wide range of other respiratory problems.
Pulmonary Rehab
Pulmonary rehabilitation therapists help patients with chronic lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis cope with their conditions through education, treatment, and exercise. Most work in pulmonary rehabilitation centers, where they provide care and education to patients enrolled in their programs on an outpatient basis. But some also provide similar services to patients who are still in the hospital. Their primary goal is to help patients with chronic lung ailments breathe more easily and comfortably.