Breathing supplies oxygen to our lungs. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood
from the lungs to all the parts of our bodies. Without enough oxygen, the
heart and brain weaken quickly.
Diseases and infections may harm breathing and lung function. Accidents
and injury can badly damage the heart, brain and lungs. Some babies are born
unable to breathe well on their own. All of these conditions can keep oxygen
from getting to where the body needs it.
Respiratory therapists, or RTs for short, help people with serious disorders
get the oxygen they need. They know how the heart and lungs work together
to keep oxygen supplied to the body.
Patrick Evans calls RTs "cardiopulmonary firefighters." Evans manages the
respiratory therapy training program at the University of Arkansas. "We're
always at the scene of the hottest medical problems."
Like firefighters, Evans says, RTs save lives. Also like firefighters,
RTs work fast. They love the rush and challenge of helping people in danger.
RTs use special equipment to diagnose breathing problems. They measure
how much of the air a patient breathes reaches their lungs and how well the
person's blood carries oxygen to vital organs and tissues.
RTs also use their eyes, ears and hands. They look for trouble signs, such
as pale skin or swelling. They listen to the patient's breathing and check
the patient's pulse and heart rate.
After evaluating the patient's condition, RTs provide treatment according
to a doctor's orders. They often use devices called inhalers and nebulizers
to deliver medicine to the lungs. Some patients can't breathe on their own.
If they can't, ventilators are used to force air directly into the lungs.
Sometimes the RT makes the patient sit or lie down in a special way. The
RT may even press or hit the patient on the back or chest to make the patient
cough. Coughing clears mucus from the lungs, making breathing easier.
RTs regularly check on patients and equipment to make sure their patients
are getting the correct treatment.
Patients are often scared and worried. Stress can make breathing harder.
RTs want their patients to trust them and accept treatment calmly. They explain
what they're doing and answer patients' questions.
Sometimes patients may be unconscious or too sick to communicate. Even
when his patient doesn't seem able to hear him, Evans always explains what
he is doing and how it will help the patient feel better.
Most RTs work in hospitals -- in emergency rooms and intensive care units.
They care for victims of heart attacks, car accidents, asthma, cystic fibrosis
and AIDS. In hospital nurseries, RTs help premature or ill babies breathe.
RTs usually work 35- to 40-hour weeks. Hospitals provide respiratory therapy
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So RTs often work three 12-hour shifts or
four 10-hour shifts in a row. Then they have days off. They usually work at
least one weekend a month.
Tracy Benenson is an RT in York, Pennsylvania. She likes this kind of schedule.
"It's great for people who want both a career and a family," says Benenson.
RTs also work in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and doctors' offices.
RTs may specialize in one medical condition, like asthma, or in a special
group of people, such as very sick babies or the elderly.
Some specialize in doing respiratory therapy in the emergency room. Other
RTs choose to do home care.
RTs work closely with doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals.
They're trained to look for small changes in a patient's condition that indicate
improvement or problems.
Strength and endurance are requirements. RTs enjoy working with their hands
-- they use screwdrivers and wrenches to operate, clean and repair the equipment
they use.
Bob Czachowski is director of education for the American Association of
Respiratory Care (AARC). "We pride ourselves on our ability to make things
work. We're mechanically and technically inclined," he says.