What Does A Respiratory Therapist In Arizona Do?

A respiratory therapist in Arizona evaluates, treats and cares for individuals with problems breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders

. A respiratory therapist in Arizona practices under the direction of a physician and assumes primary responsibility for therapeutic treatments, respiratory care and diagnostic procedures. This includes supervising respiratory therapy technicians. A respiratory therapist in Arizona also consults with other healthcare staff to develop and alter patient care plans and provide complex therapy such as caring for individuals on life support.

A respiratory therapist in Arizona evaluates and treats a wide variety of individuals, ranging from elderly individuals with diseased lungs to premature infants with underdeveloped lungs. They provide temporary care to individuals with emphysema or chronic asthma and give emergency care to individuals who are having a heart attack, stroke, drowning or in shock.

A respiratory therapist in Arizona interviews patients, conducts diagnostic tests and performs limited physical examinations. For example, a therapist tests an individual's breathing capacity and determines the concentration of oxygen and other gases in an individual's blood. They also measure the individual's pH, which indicates the alkalinity or acidity of the patient's blood.

To evaluate an individual's lung capacity, a respiratory therapist in Arizona has the individual breathe into a device that measures the flow and volume of oxygen during exhalation and inhalation. The therapist then compares the reading with the norm for the individual's height, weight, age and sex and provides information that helps determine whether the individual has any lung problems or deficiencies. To analyze carbon dioxide, oxygen and pH levels a respiratory therapist in Arizona draws an arterial blood sample, places it in a blood gas analyzer and relays results to a physician, who makes treatment decisions.

To treat individuals, a respiratory therapist in Arizona uses chest physiotherapy, oxygen or oxygen mixtures and aerosol medications - a liquid medication suspended in a gas which is inhaled by the patient. Therapists teach individuals how to properly inhale the aerosol to ensure its effectiveness. Therapists increase an individual's concentration of oxygen by placing a nasal cannula or oxygen mask on the individual and setting the oxygen flow to the level prescribed by a physician when a patient is having difficulty getting oxygen to their blood.

A respiratory therapist in Arizona also connects individuals who cannot breathe on their own to a ventilator that delivers pressurized oxygen to the patient's lungs. The therapist inserts a tube into the individual's trachea or windpipe, connect this tube to the ventilator and set the volume, rate and oxygen concentration of the mixture entering the individual's lungs.

A respiratory therapist in Arizona performs chest physiotherapy on individuals to remove mucus from their lungs and allow them to breathe more easily. Therapists place individuals in position that help drain mucus and then vibrate the individual's rib cages and tells them to cough. Chest physiotherapy is commonly needed after surgery because anesthesia depresses respiration. As a result, individuals may be prescribed physiotherapy to help their lungs get back to normal and prevent congestion. Chest physiotherapy also helps individuals suffering from lung diseases.

by: Beth Glick

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