Respiratory Therapy
What education is required to be a respiratory therapist? - Bachelor of science in
respiratory therapy
What does a respiratory therapist do, when involved in home health? - - oxygen or
nebulizer treatments
- CPR education
- setting up apnea monitors for newborns and their parents
What is a respiratory therapist do? - Someone who cares for patients that have trouble
breathing
Where do respiratory therapist work? - - home health
- Dr. Offices (pulmonologist office)
- Nursing homes
- Hospice
- Hospitals: NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), ICU (intensive care unit), surgery, code
blue team, cardiac floors
What are the responsibilities of a respiratory therapists, when involved with patients who
have a mechanical ventilator? - - flow volume
- Pressure
- Suction
- maintain endotracheal tube
- Intubation may not be longer than 2 weeks, as it will damage the trachea (if required to
exceed 2 weeks, a tracheostomy tube is put in)
What must a respiratory therapist draw from a patients arm? What are they looking for?
- ABG's (arterial blood gases); Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, pH
What kind of treatment must a respiratory therapist give a patient to take medicine? -
Nebulizer treatment (makes mist medication for inhalation)
Where do respiratory therapist give nebulizer treatment? - hospital, home health
What services do respiratory therapist give at a patient’s home? - - nebulizer treatment
- Oxygen treatment
What does PFT stand for? - Pulmonary function tests
What are the PFT's? - Volume, diffusion, flow (how fast a patient can exhale)
, What is a spirometer used for? - Measurement of lung capacity or treatment
What do respiratory therapists do with the Code Blue team? - Ventilation and
compressions
Why do respiratory therapists preform postural drainage? - positioning patient to allow
fluid to get out of lungs
What does CPT stand for? - Chest physical therapy (percussion)
What is the purpose of percussion / CPT? - loosen mucus
What causes asthma? - Bronchospasms narrow the openings of the bronchioles, mucus
production increases and edema develops
Usually causes by sensitivity to allergens, stress, overexertion, and infection
What are the symptoms of asthma? - Dyspnea (trouble breathing), wheezing, coughing,
and tightness in chest
What causes bronchitis? - Inflammation of the bronchi and bronchial tubes
What are the symptoms of bronchitis? - Productive cough, dyspnea, chest pain, fever
What does COPD stand for? - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
What is COPD? What is the primary cause? - Any chronic lung disease that results in
obstruction of the airways;
- Chronic asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Tuberculosis
- Smoking is the primary cause!
What causes emphysema? What is the primary cause? - the alveoli deteriorate and lose
their elasticity. CO2 remains trapped in the alveoli and there is poor exchange of gases.
- Smoking is the most common cause
What are the symptoms of emphysema? - Dyspnea, feeling of suffocation, pain, barrel
(chest), chest, chronic cough, cyanosis, rapid respiratory
What is epistaxis? - Nose bleed
What education is required to be a respiratory therapist? - Bachelor of science in
respiratory therapy
What does a respiratory therapist do, when involved in home health? - - oxygen or
nebulizer treatments
- CPR education
- setting up apnea monitors for newborns and their parents
What is a respiratory therapist do? - Someone who cares for patients that have trouble
breathing
Where do respiratory therapist work? - - home health
- Dr. Offices (pulmonologist office)
- Nursing homes
- Hospice
- Hospitals: NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), ICU (intensive care unit), surgery, code
blue team, cardiac floors
What are the responsibilities of a respiratory therapists, when involved with patients who
have a mechanical ventilator? - - flow volume
- Pressure
- Suction
- maintain endotracheal tube
- Intubation may not be longer than 2 weeks, as it will damage the trachea (if required to
exceed 2 weeks, a tracheostomy tube is put in)
What must a respiratory therapist draw from a patients arm? What are they looking for?
- ABG's (arterial blood gases); Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, pH
What kind of treatment must a respiratory therapist give a patient to take medicine? -
Nebulizer treatment (makes mist medication for inhalation)
Where do respiratory therapist give nebulizer treatment? - hospital, home health
What services do respiratory therapist give at a patient’s home? - - nebulizer treatment
- Oxygen treatment
What does PFT stand for? - Pulmonary function tests
What are the PFT's? - Volume, diffusion, flow (how fast a patient can exhale)
, What is a spirometer used for? - Measurement of lung capacity or treatment
What do respiratory therapists do with the Code Blue team? - Ventilation and
compressions
Why do respiratory therapists preform postural drainage? - positioning patient to allow
fluid to get out of lungs
What does CPT stand for? - Chest physical therapy (percussion)
What is the purpose of percussion / CPT? - loosen mucus
What causes asthma? - Bronchospasms narrow the openings of the bronchioles, mucus
production increases and edema develops
Usually causes by sensitivity to allergens, stress, overexertion, and infection
What are the symptoms of asthma? - Dyspnea (trouble breathing), wheezing, coughing,
and tightness in chest
What causes bronchitis? - Inflammation of the bronchi and bronchial tubes
What are the symptoms of bronchitis? - Productive cough, dyspnea, chest pain, fever
What does COPD stand for? - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
What is COPD? What is the primary cause? - Any chronic lung disease that results in
obstruction of the airways;
- Chronic asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Tuberculosis
- Smoking is the primary cause!
What causes emphysema? What is the primary cause? - the alveoli deteriorate and lose
their elasticity. CO2 remains trapped in the alveoli and there is poor exchange of gases.
- Smoking is the most common cause
What are the symptoms of emphysema? - Dyspnea, feeling of suffocation, pain, barrel
(chest), chest, chronic cough, cyanosis, rapid respiratory
What is epistaxis? - Nose bleed
