Mr. Steven Jeffrey Fisher

The focus of patient and family education activities is to promote knowledge of disease process, medical therapy, and self help. Respiratory therapists are uniquely qualified to provide this service in regard to cardiopulmonary diseases and injury.

This level of care includes diagnostics testing, therapeutics, monitoring, rehabilitation of patients with disorders of the cardiopulmonary system, as well as, education of the patient and family in regard to those disorders.

Transport respiratory therapist provide patient assessment, initiation of treatment modalities and continued monitoring of patient status of the critically ill and injured patients with special attention to advanced airway and ventilator management. The transport respiratory therapist knowledge and experience with complex neonatal, pediatric and adult patient care issues provides them with an expertise to assist with any patient care issue in a variety of transport modes.

The respiratory therapist can assist the chronic pulmonary patient in returning to an optimal role in society by providing an effective program. It includes bronchopulmonary drainage, exercise therapy, and patient education.

A coordinated plan of care to help dying patients and their families handle the burden of terminal care. Effective secretion management and relief of dyspnea are paramount in caring for patients with end-stage pulmonary disease.

Included in the area of pulmonary diagnostics are the following; collection and analysis of physiological specimens, interpretation of physiological data, administration of tests of the cardiopulmonary system, and the conduct of both neurophysiological and sleep disorders studies.

Respiratory emergencies are commonplace in the treatment of critical care patients. Included in the assessment measurements conducted by the respiratory therapist in the critical care settings are arterial blood gas puncture and analysis, intrarterial monitoring, bedside measurements of lung mechanics, hemodynamic monitoring, and inspired and expired gas measurements. This is coupled with the initiation and management of mechanical ventilation patients.

Source: NUCC, CMS