Respiratory therapist

PPBG Postprandial blood glucose RRT Registered Respiratory Therapist... 

Ron had free tickets to fly to Hawaii, and we had found chemical-free homes to stay in on Maui and Kauai. Ron and I had been working with my environmental doctor and a respiratory therapist to find a way for me to make the trip safely. A friend of mine—a nurse—went with us to the airport to help me get to the plane. The level of perfume in the airport was so high that, even on oxygen, I felt terribly sick and begged Ron to take me back to the car. But I was in a wheelchair and they insisted that I was going to Hawaii. On the plane I used the oxygen with my own stainless steel tubing and ceramic mask. 

Decision/Solution. In addition to the neuromuscular facilitation activities, the physical therapist initiated a program of chest physical therapy including postural drainage and deep-breathing exercises. The physical therapist coordinated these activities with the respiratory therapist so that the patient first received a treatment of the mucolytic agent. Also, the physical therapist had the patient self-administer a dose of the inhaled beta-2 bronchodilator approximately 1 hour prior to the chest therapy session, thus allowing the bronchodilator to produce maximal airway dilation and permit optimal clearance of bronchial secretions. 

Figure 26.2 is a flowchart of appropriate, safe, effective, and efficient use of medications in the hospital setting (12). It incorporates the role of the prescriber, nurse, pharmacist, and patient in a typical inpatient environment. It also depicts the role of the organization s pharmacy and therapeutics committee and quality improvement functions, which will be discussed later in this chapter. The decision to treat a patient in a hospital or extended-care facility typically adds a nurse or other healthcare provider (respiratory therapist, etc.) to the trio described in the ambulatory care setting. Every time that individual has to read, interpret, decide, or act is yet another opportunity for a mistake to occur. Each of the steps in the medication use process provides an opportunity for correct or incorrect interpretation and implementation of the tactics that support the therapeutic plan. With this many opportunities for medication misadventures to occur, it is easy to understand why tracking and improving quality are important aspects of medication use. 

Collaborative Intervention An intervention is performed by multiple members of the healthcare team, such as the respiratory therapist, the healthcare provider, and the nurse. 

Today, a growing number of pharmacists practice exclusively in critical care settings. They are recognized members of the critical care team, along with the inten-sivist, nurses, dietitians, respiratory therapists, and others. The exact number of critical care pharmacists is not known, but more than 450 pharmacists are members of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). This number may only represent a fraction of the total number because many other pharmacists work in critical care satellites and provide a broad range of pharmaceutical care services. 

The nurse does not draw arterial blood gases this is done by the respiratory therapist or the HCP. 

Drug Delivery to the Lung is a different and timely addition to the series. As the editors point out in their preface, it is aimed at clinicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists interested in the role of aerosol delivery for optimal management of lung disease. The beneficiaries of this interest will unquestionably be the patients. 

Direct care providers (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, etc.)... 

Fung MA, Geisse JK, Maibach HI (1996) Airborne contact dermatitis from metaproterenol in a respiratory therapist. Contact Dermatitis 35 317-318... 

Other allied healthcare workers that train in the simulation hospital include but not limited to respiratory therapists, social workers, infection control, physiatrists, emergency medical services, and laboratory technicians. 

The respiratory therapist and physician would be interested in the patient s respiratory acidosis, which is the excess CO resulting from inadequate alveolar ventilation. Respiratory alkalosis is a deficit of COj resulting from alveolar hypersensitivity. The area we will examine is the use of the spirometer and the accompanying charts for comparison. The medical terminology of inhalation therapy is more directed to pulmonary disease treatment, which one is attempting to prevent with the use of respirators. It should be noted that once the worker or person impairs his lungs, modem medicine cannot reinstate previous capacity. At best, present technology can only ease the pain. 

In this chapter, we will see how equations are written and how we can determine the amount of reactant or product involved. We do the same thing at home when we use a recipe to make bread or cookies. At the automotive repair shop, a mechanic does essentially the same thing by adjusting the fuel system of an engine to allow for the correct amounts of fuel and oxygen. In the hospital, a respiratory therapist evaluates the levels of CO2 and O2 in the blood. 

When we know the balanced chemical equation for a reaction, we can determine the mole and mass relationships between the reactants and products. Then we use molar masses to calculate the quantities of substances used or produced in a particular reaction. We do much the same thing at home when we use a recipe to make a cake or add the right quantity of water to make soup. In the manufacturing of chemical compounds, side reactions decrease the percent of product obtained. From the actual amount of product, we can determine the percent yield for a reaction. Knowing how to determine the quantitative results of a chemical reaction is essential to chemists, engineers, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and other scientists and health professionals. 

In order to treat patients, therapists provide oxygen or aerosol medications to the patient, as well as chest physiotherapy to remove mucus from their lungs. Respiratory therapists also educate patients on how to correctly use their inhalers. 

New Chapter Opener describes the work and career of a respiratory therapist. 

Ely EW, Bennett PA, Bowton DL, et al. Large scale implementation of a respiratory therapist-driven protocol for ventilator weaning. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999 159 439-446. 

Hoffman LA, Happ MB, Scharfenberg C, et al. Perceptions of physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists about the role of acute care nurse practitioners. Am J Crit Care 2004 13 480-488. 

Kollef MH, Shapiro SD, Clinkscale D, et al. The effect of respiratory therapist-initiated treatment protocols on patient outcomes and resource utilization. Chest 2000 117 467-475. 

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