The Asthma Killer

We have a horrible disease in our lives. We have a weapon with which to combat it...but it is a terrible foe. It will take someone of extreme compassion and intelligence to strike back at it. Who can we call upon? What kind of warrior can stand against such a deadly adversary?

The respiratory therapist is the mongoose to the cobra. He is water to fire and Rocky Balboa to Ivan Drago. The efficiency with which this noble medical professional combats that despicable disease is something to be admired and idolized. So a respiratory therapist is asthma's greatest nightmare? But what exactly is a respiratory therapist? What does it take to be one and what do they do?

A respiratory therapist is the one who takes care of a patient with any breathing disorder that causes them to be under a respiratory therapist's care. Our medical professional will take care of any patient who needs him. What I mean by taking care of is that he evaluates and treats them.

Now, evaluation is a critical part of a respiratory therapist’s job, because if he doesn’t know what he’s treating, he could be doing more harm than help. In order to evaluate a patient, the respiratory therapist must interview him, perform limited physical examinations, and conduct diagnostic tests. In simpler terms, it means he asks questions, checks the patient’s body, and does blood tests to determine the concentration of oxygen and other gases in the patient’s blood. A respiratory therapist will also test breathing capacity by having a patient blow into an instrument that measures the strength of air flow. After gathering this information, the respiratory therapist then diagnoses the ailment by comparing it to the normal standards for the patient’s age group, gender, and height and weight, and sets to work to rectify the problem.

The weapons in a respiratory therapist’s arsenal in the war against breathing disorders are very potent. For treatment, a respiratory therapist can use oxygen or oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy and aerosol medications. When a patient isn’t getting enough oxygen, respiratory therapists can use oxygen masks or even put a tube into the trachea that is attached to a ventilator to do the breathing for them. A very powerful form of therapy, chest physiotherapy, removes mucus from a patient’s lungs and is sometimes even used during surgery to clear the lungs of unwanted fluids and mucus.

A respiratory therapist can do a lot, but what does it take to be one? The minimum degree a respiratory therapist must have is an Associate’s Degree. There are plenty of accepted schools around the country with respiratory therapy programs, the bulk of them being community colleges. One such college is our very own El Centro (which I personally plan to graduate from). All states (except Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the District of Colombia) require licensure before a respiratory therapist can practice in that state. There are two levels of respiratory therapists. Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRTs) and Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs). Examinations consist of a writing and practicum portion, and can be obtained from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

Such a well-trained warrior....asthma doesn't stand a chance. And when I'm finally a respiratory therapist? I'm bringing asthma down. You can take that to the bank.