7 Common Respiratory Devices You Use as a Respiratory Therapist 

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As a Respiratory Therapist, you use several types of equipment to help diagnose and treat patients with breathing and lung problems. Common examples include ventilators that keep patients breathing, inhalers and nebulizers that deliver medication to the lungs, and oxygen delivery systems that improve patients’ blood oxygen rates. If you’re already an RT, you’re familiar with the equipment you use. But if you’re just starting out or considering the profession, check out 7 common respiratory devices that Respiratory Therapists use on the job.

1. RTs Use Pulse Oximeters

A pulse oximeter is a small medical device that measures how much oxygen is in your blood. As a Respiratory Therapist, you attach the tool to your patient’s fingertip. The pulse oximeter then shines two wavelengths of infrared and red light through the skin to detect how much light is absorbed by oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, which allows it to calculate the percentage of red blood cells carrying oxygen. A normal reading is between 95% and 100%.

Low oxygen saturation can indicate that the body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This condition is called hypoxemia and may be linked to a variety of medical issues, including:

  • Asthma
  • Pneumonia
  • COVID-19
  • Anemia
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Pulmonary Edema
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Heart Disease or Heart Attack

2. How Respiratory Therapists Use Spirometers

A spirometer measures how well a patient’s lungs work. The machine has a tube connected to a mouthpiece where patients breathe in and out.

The process for your patient:

  • Sit up straight.
  • Attach a clean, disposable mouthpiece on the spirometer.
  • Seal lips tightly around the mouthpiece.
  • Take a deep breath fully in to fill the lungs.
  • Blow out hard and fast as completely as possible.
  • Repeat three times for accuracy.
  • Check the results.

Spirometers help detect and monitor conditions like asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.

nebulizer

3. Nebulizers

Nebulizers convert liquid medication into a mist that can be inhaled into the lungs. Patients with cystic fibrosis, COPD, and lung infections need these devices to deliver medication directly to their airways. To use a nebulizer, you first prepare the device by connecting the tubing to the air compressor and nebulizer cup. Then you add the prescribed dose of medication to the cup and turn on the air compressor. The patient sits up and inhales until all of the medication has been delivered.

4. Inhalers

Inhalers are smaller, portable versions of nebulizers. Inhalers are commonly used by patients with asthma to deliver powdered medication via a puff of air. There is a learning curve to inhalers, particularly when timing an intake of breath with the release of the medication. You should teach your patients the proper technique and how to use an inhaler on their own.

5. RTs Assist with Oxygen Delivery Systems

Patients with COPD, heart disease that affects the lungs, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or cystic fibrosis require the aid of oxygen delivery systems to constantly increase their blood oxygen levels. Examples of these systems include oxygen tanks, which supply a finite amount of compressed oxygen, and oxygen concentrators, which provide an infinite amount of oxygen by filtering it from the surrounding air. Both are portable and can deliver oxygen to a patient via a mask or nasal cannulas, a device with prongs that are inserted into the nostrils.

cpap machine

6. CPAP Machines

For patients with sleep apnea, CPAP machines deliver a steady stream of air through a hose connected to a mask that fits over the nose or nose and mouth. The constant air pressure keeps airways open to ensure patients get enough oxygen while they sleep. It helps prevent pauses in breathing that cause snoring, gasping, and poor sleep.

7. Respiratory Therapist Patients on Ventilators

When a patient is unable to breathe on their own, they may need to be placed on a mechanical ventilator. The machine acts as a set of bellows, pumping air into and out of the lungs via a mask or a tube inserted into their airways.

Your job is to:

  • Prepare the equipment.
  • Connect the ventilator to oxygen and power.
  • Set initial parameters as ordered by a physician.
  • Attach to the patient after the doctor has intubated the patient.
  • Check for leaks and alarms and ensure the ventilator is functioning correctly.
  • Monitor and adjust the patient and the machine.

Are you interested in a career as a Respiratory Therapist? Demand for the profession is up across the country. At Charter College today, you can complete an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy that can prepare you for a rewarding career in this field in less than two years. Our program combines online learning with an in-person practicum for flexibility and convenience. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.