Respiratory

Respiratory Therapists are an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team that care for patients before, during and after a cardiac procedure.  During the preassessment process, respiratory therapists are often called on to perform pulmonary function tests to determine a person’s lung function or oximetry walk tests that show how a patient’s lungs perform with exercise.  During a procedure in the cardiac operating room, a respiratory therapist is present to assist the anesthetist with preparing the patient for surgery.  Their duties include setting up the room beforehand as well as seeing the patient in the waiting area and helping the nursing staff bring the patient into the room.  Once there, the respiratory therapists assist with I.V. line insertion, intubation and positioning the patient for surgery.  They may help run blood tests and other testing that helps determine a patient’s cardiac status.

Once the procedure is complete, respiratory therapists help transport the patient to the intensive care unit where they are connected to the ventilator.  During this time, the patient’s breathing status is monitored by blood tests and other objective tests and changes are made accordingly by the respiratory therapist.  When the patient is fully awake, a respiratory therapist removes the breathing tube and disconnects the ventilator; but, still continues to monitor their oxygen status throughout the course of their intensive care unit stay.

Post-operatively, respiratory therapists can be called upon to assess a patient’s condition and oxygen status through blood tests and physical assessment.  They may be consulted to teach patients about respiratory medications and the correct administration of such drugs.  Respiratory therapists can provide valuable information about respiratory health issues such as smoking cessation and pulmonary disorders like asthma, COPD and emphysema.  In the increasingly advanced system of medical care, respiratory therapists feel privileged to be a member of the multidisciplinary health care team at the N.B. Heart Centre.