Respiratory Therapists are Lifesavers

Breathing is too natural for us that we oftentimes take it for granted. Little do we know that, to people who suffer from respiratory disorders every breath means gold. These people are the ones that have asthma, chronic lung problems, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, AIDS, lung cancer, premature babies and even those that suffer from heart attacks or accidents. The healthcare person who takes care of patients with such disorders is called a respiratory therapist. They evaluate, care and treat respiratory illnesses.

There are about 100,000 respiratory therapists working with patients suffering from heart and lung disorders, and this is just in the United States. They work with people of all ages and in different hospital locations. Most of them work in healthcare units where they are asked to provide intensive care, neonatal procedures and critical care. They are also readily available for assistance in emergency case like accidents and stroke. In the United States, there are about 5,700 hospitals that have a separate respiratory care department.

Respiratory therapists are gradually increasing in number as the need for them rises in healthcare units. They work in physician’s offices, nursing facilities, specialized care hospitals, medical equipment supply companies, home health agencies and even at patient’s residences. Some of their tasks are analyzing sputum and breath specimens. They take blood samples to determine the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases. They measure the capacity of a patient’s lungs to ensure that there are no problems that need to be taken care of. They also perform stress tests and other studies of the cardiopulmonary system and they observe and study disorders of people who have disturbed sleeping patterns.

They are also trained to maintain and manage highly sophisticated equipment that helps patients in attaining the prescribed level of oxygen. They set up ventilators to assist patients who have difficulty in breathing. They also perform lung therapies that will help patients recover lung function. Respiratory therapists are also responsible in providing aerosol treatments that will prevent any respiratory infections and will help the patients breathe easier. They also make sure that the equipment are working properly and are ready for use.

Other than that, they also conduct respiratory exercises like low-impact aerobic exercise for patients who suffer from chronic lung disorder. They also monitor a patient’s ventilator to make sure that the patient’s airway is not blocked. They also conduct programs on how to stop smoking to help patients and people in the community avoid respiratory problems.

Respiratory therapists are members of their national organization, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). The AARC has more than 35,000 members in all 50 states of America. The association aims to provide assistance to their members in educational opportunities. They also work towards maintaining the excellence and standards of care and practice in the profession. They are also focused on federal and state legislative and regulatory activities that concerns health issues such as Medicare, smoking and hiring practices of health care workers. Moreover, the demand for respiratory therapists is expected to rise in the coming years due to the growing number of elderly people and because of the damages done to the environment.