Respiratory Therapists:

The primary responsibility of a respiratory therapist is (usually) to consult with the physicians and to help develop and implement individualized respiratory therapy plans.

Daily duties of a respiratory therapist may include: Patient evaluation, Performing initial physical examination, and carrying out diagnostic tests for evaluating patients' breathing capacity, tests to determine blood-oxygen levels, oxygen and other gases in patients' blood, testing and monitoring of blood pH, to establish patients' lung capacity, testing for establishing patients' blood gas concentration. Respiratory therapists also provide temporary/symptomatic relief to asthma or emphysema patients.

Generally speaking, respiratory therapists have greater responsibilities than respiratory technicians. It is not uncommon, however, for them to have overlapping daily duties. Respiratory Technicians usually have significantly different responsibilities.

Treatments provided by Respiratory Therapists:

Respiratory therapists coordinates delivery of a host of treatments, including: oxygen therapy, chest physiotherapy (positional draining of mucus from the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, etc.), and safe operation and monitoring of ventilators. They also help train patients and their care-givers on how to safely use ventilators, and any life-support systems.

The above outline is, of course, only a brief description of the most common types of respiratory therapies that a respiratory therapist may be able to provide to her patients. Check with your respiratory therapist or your physician for more specific details.

Don't forget to check out Lung Disease News section of this website for the latest Respiratory Therapy News and our Lung Disease Articles Library for the latest Respiratory Therapy related Articles.

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