What is a respiratory therapy?

Answer 1

Respiratory therapists and respiratory therapy technicians—also known as respiratory care practitioners—evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Respiratory therapy technicians follow specific, well-defined respiratory care procedures under the direction of respiratory therapists and physicians. In clinical practice, many of the daily duties of therapists and technicians overlap; furthermore, the two have the same education and training requirements. However, therapists generally have greater responsibility than technicians. For example, respiratory therapists will consult with physicians and other health care staff to help develop and modify individual patient care plans. Respiratory therapists also are more likely to provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in intensive-care units of hospitals. In this Handbook statement, the term respiratory therapists includes both respiratory therapists and respiratory therapy technicians.

Respiratory therapy is the therapy that respiratory therapists do. Rehab, medication therapy, physiotherapy just to name a few.

Answer 2

Respiratory Therapy includes many different modalities, everything from full on life support to teaching breathing exercises to help with chronic lung disease. We diagnose, educate regarding and provide treatment for any condition that affects breathing, which can stem from disorders of any body system.