Respiratory therapy

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Respiratory Therapy is an allied health field involved in the assessment and treatment of breathing disorders including chronic lung problems (i.e., asthma , bronchitis , emphysema , COPD) ,and more acute multi systemic problems stemming from other pathological conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, shock, asphyxiation, drowning shock or trauma. Respiratory Therapists (RT) are specialists in airway management, mechanical ventilation, acid/base balance and critical care medicine.

RT's primarily do breathing treatments, sometimes they do oxygen checks.

Work environment and duties

Respiratory Therapists are most commonly found in ICU/CCU, CVICU, PICU, NICU, ER (Trauma Room, Emergency Resuscitation Room),and OR,as well as other critical care areas within the hospital setting. Respiratory Therapists treat virtually every patient population, and most often the most critically ill patients in the hospital. RTs are the only professionals other than nurses and doctors that are available to provide care to ICU/CCU, CVICU, PICU, NICU, ER patients 24 hours a day. Respiratory Therapists are also a critical part of the Code Team (Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal Cardiac Arrest Teams) and are responsible for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of the patient, as well as establishing a patent airway (known as intubation). The Respiratory Therapist duties include but are not limited to: Delivering Aerosolized Drugs, Management and Initiation of Life Support, Withdrawal of life support in an either Terminal (known as "terminal weaning")or general weaning capacity, Respiratory Therapist also administer cardiac testing as well as place Arterial Lines and draw Arterial Blood Gases (ABG) for ventilation/oxygenation analysis. Respiratory Therapists are also found in Sleep Diagnostic facilities, Cardiac Cath labs, Cardiac Stress Labs and Pulmonary Function Testing labs.

RT's have to do some schooling.

History of respiratory therapy

In the 1940s in Chicago, Illinois, a group of oxygen-tank technicians began meeting with doctors concerned with lung disease. This group named itself the Inhalational Therapy Association ("ITA") in 1946. They gradually put together a series of classes for people administering medical gases to patients. In December, 1950, 31 members of the Association were issued certificates for attending 16 lectures. This was the first certification of "inhalation therapists." (Burton, pp. 5-6) It was an on-the-job training system for so-called "oxygen jockies". They had little formal education, but did have a desire to do their jobs better and help patients in the process.

In 1953 the American College of Chest Physicians agreed to sponsor the ITA. By this year the ITA was holding an annual convention, with attendees from 14 states and Canada. In 1954 they changed the name to American Association of Inhalation Therapists, electing a board of directors. They elected Sister Borromea as president and appointed Jimmy Young as executive director. By this time the AAIT was putting out a monthly Bulletin, and state chapters began to form. (Burton p. 7)

During the next few years better equipment and more advanced therapy techniques were introduced. Those practicing in the profession began to adopt the title "inhalation therapist." Their main function was to ensure safe oxygen use, to administer intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) treatments, to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to operate negative pressure (iron lung) ventilators.

Alvin Barach, a leader in discovering the role oxygen therapy played in breathing and health, led a group in publishing in 1950 "Minimum Standards for Inhalation Therapy." In 1957 the New York delegation to the AMA's House of Delegates introduced a resolution to develop schools of inhalation therapy, and soon after some schools were set up. In 1960 Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of Illinois for the American Registry of Inhalation Therapists. Twelve examinees were registered in 1961. In 1972 the Association changed its name to the American Association of Respiratory Therapy (about this time the field of NICU RT was beginning), and this was later changed to the American Association of Respiratory Care. By 1983 about 16,000 respiratory therapists had been registered. (Burton, pp. 9-10). About 1969 the organization devised a system for credentialing entry-level practitioners, which became the National Board of Respiratory Care's system of certifying technicians.

With the advent of positive pressure mechanical ventilators, the more widespread hospital provision of neonatal and pediatric care, more sophisticated pulmonary function testing (PFT), a need for thoroughly trained clinical practitioners presented itself. Respiratory Therapists are practically doctors.

Over the years "respiratory technicians" have evolved to being college and University trained clinicians. Respiratory therapy skills and procedures include (but are not limited to): managing mechanical ventilation (invasive and non-invasive), intubation and placement of other airways, arterial line insertion, cardiac catheter advancement, tracheostomy recannulation, nasotracheal suction, drawing and interpreting arterial blood gases, pulmonary waveform analysis, inhaled medication delivery, oxygen delivery (via nasal canula and various mask devices), managing a variety of aerosol therapy devices, performing pulmonary function tests.

References

External links

• American Association for Repiratory Care (AARC)
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)
• Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT)
• The Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO)

See also

• YouTube - Life and Breath, Respiratory Care Overview
• Respiratory Therapy - The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario
• Advance for Respiratory Care Practitioners
• Advance for Managers of Respiratory Care
• RT Space, Global Community for Respiratory Therapist
• Respiratory Care & sleep disorder
• Canadian Respiratory Therapist Job Profile — analysis of job outlook and wage information for Canada.
• Critical Care News is a peer-to-peer forum for intensive care clinicians throughout the world to share experiences in ventilation therapies with each other.
• United States Occupational Outlook Handbook for Respiratory Therapists — Job outlook and wage information for The United States
• RT Magazine (bimonthly professional publication)
• RT Corner (Educational Site for RT's and Nurses)
• RESPIRATORY CARE: The Science Journal of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
• Respiratory Care Forum

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