Who are called respiratory therapists?

 Who are called respiratory therapists?

Respiratory therapist also called respiratory care practitioners are paramedical professionals who basically deals with the problems related to the lungs and airways of an individual from their first breath till the very last breath i.e., all age group of patients who has a simple cough or someone who require I.C.U care. The Respiratory Therapist can help them as an individual or as a part of a multidisciplinary team to improve the health-related quality of the patient.

Where can respiratory therapists work inside a hospital?

Respiratory Therapist can work in coordinate with physicians in order to formulate individual care for patients depending upon their respective disease condition i.e., in co-ordination with Pulmonologist, Pediatricians, Anesthetists, Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or even in pre and post-operative care as a backup for Surgeons to restore ventilation. In a hospital, they can work in the outpatient departments, inpatient department, critical care unit, pulmonary rehabilitation center, and pre or post-operative care unit.

What is the role of the respiratory therapist?

The vital role of a Respiratory Therapist is to assess, aid in diagnosing or treat,ing and care for patients with cardiopulmonary disorders. They play a vital role as a member of the Code Blue team (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) to restore ventilation to the lungs, which includes a vast category of patients from newborns to the elderly.

Under Pulmonology / Critical Care Medicine or Emergency Medicine

The respiratory therapist takes a brief history of patients, performs some physical examination, and also helps in the diagnosis of the patient’s disease with the help of certain equipment.

• Respiratory Therapists may use oxygen alone or in combination with other gases and choose appropriate devices for their delivery depending on the patient's need.
• Provide aerosol medication with medical devices such as nebulizers for patients with breathing difficulty depending on patient need and understanding in coordination with the physician
• For patients who are unable to clear their secretion or who cannot cough well, the respiratory therapist will provide Chest Physiotherapy which has various methods.
• Diagnostic tools such as Spirometry are used to measure lung capacity. So that a treatment plan can be made accordingly.
• Ventilator management: Diseases like pneumonia may require extra concentration of oxygen with or without pressure to improve breathing. Respiratory Therapist aids the patient by providing them the right amount of oxygen with the appropriate device.
• Pressured oxygen can be delivered to the lung with the help of an endotracheal tube which directly enters the lung via windpipe/ trachea and is connected to a pressured oxygen delivery device called a ventilator. This can be also given through a simple face mask which is called a non-invasive ventilator. Alterations are made with the help of blood analysis which will be done every now and then by RTs also with regular checks on patient condition and equipment used in accordance with physicians' orders.
• They also help victims in special scenarios like heart attack, choking, drowning, or shock. In a home care setting, Respiratory therapists teach patients and their family members to use their respiratory care equipment in the correct way. In addition, they also have scheduled visits to check the patient at home to modify the plan in accordance with their status of disease.
• Respiratory Therapists have expanded their area of work by involving themself in multidisciplinary teams and working with physicians in case management, pulmonary rehabilitation, and counseling for smoking cessation and disease prevention and also trained in Polysomongraphy (diagnostic tool for sleep diseases).
• In newborn care, respiratory therapists have to aid in flushing out the fluid from the lungs either by stimulation or with the use of artificial ventilation devices which results in the lung function of newborns.

How long will they work and how much is their salary?

Respiratory Therapists generally work around 35-40 hours a week. Depending upon their workplace this time may vary. The average salary ranges around Rs 18,000- 25,000/ month depending field of interest and work area.

Conclusion

Most of the Respiratory therapists must complete a 2-4 year program of study and can register in IARC (Indian Association of Respiratory Care). In short Respiratory Therapists provide both temporary relief and permanent solutions to patients suffering from disorders related to the lungs and airways of all age groups. The goal of the respiratory therapist is to help the patient to breathe with comfort.