Respiratory Therapy began in the 1940’s when a group of “oxygen jockies” met to discuss with doctors the treatment of lung disease. Since then, the trade has evolved to college trained technicians who perform a number of tasks including: mechanical ventilation, intubation, arterial line insertion, cardiac catheter advancement, tracheostomy recannulation, nasotracheal suction, drawing and interpreting arterial blood gases, pulmonary waveform analysis, inhaled medication delivery, oxygen delivery, aerosol therapy device management, and pulmonary function tests.
Respiratory Therapists are required to complete at least an Associate’s Degree, which must be supported by either the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, or its predecessor, the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education, or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or, in Canada, by the Council on Accreditation for Respiratory Therapy Education. Education in anatomy, physiology, athophysiology, pharmaceutical agents, chemistry, physics, hemodynamics, and mechanical ventilation make a Respiratory Therapist an indispensable team member. Because cardiovascular and pulmonary systems are so closely related, a Registered Respiratory Therapist must also be skilled with the cardiovascular system, and participate in advanced life support situations, ECG testing and interpretation, cardiac stress testing, and critical care cardiac support.
When a patient has no breathing control, they may need the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. Respiratory Therapists are usually the only expert operators of this type of machine. Patients undergoing stress affecting their homeostatic balance may need to be administered therapeutic gases such as oxygen, heliox, and nitric oxide. A Respiratory Therapist may be called upon to intubate a patient to provide an open and protected airway. They may consult and administer therapies to improve the cardiovascular-respiratory system function to prevent lactic acidosis. They may also be needed to clear excess mucus or fluids from the bronchial tree, and to control swelling and inflammation in the bronchial passages.
Respiratory Therapists play a critical part in the Code Team of an ICU/ER (Trauma Room, Emergency Resuscitation Room). They are responsible for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of the patient, as well as establishing an open and protected airway. Cardiac testing, the placement of Arterial Lines, and drawing Arterial Blood Gases for ventilation/oxygenation analysis are other tasks relegated to the Respiratory Therapist. They are the only professionals other than nurses and doctors who are available to provide care to ICU/ER patients 24 hrs a day.
Respiratory Therapy is a demanding, but equally rewarding field, providing the opportunity for variety, from the assessment and treatment of breathing disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD, to the more acute multi systemic problems common with other pathological conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, shock, asphyxiation, drowning shock or trauma.
