Respiratory Care
The ICU is staffed with Respiratory Care
Practitioners 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is an ICU
“Core” Team that works in the adult intensive care unit as the
primary Respiratory Care Practitioners. The Respiratory Care Practitioners
are certified or registered by the National Board of Respiratory Care and
they are all required to pass the Advanced Cardiac Life Support course.
Aspects of ICU
respiratory care includes the following:
1. Patient Assessment:
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
2. Mechanical Ventilator Management:
Assessing the patient by:
Monitoring the patient’s airway pressure, compliance and
oxygenation.
Measurement of pulmonary mechanics
Monitoring volumes and flows
Monitoring acid base balance
Weaning parameters
3. Invasive Hemodynamics and monitoring
Assist
physicians with arterial and Swan-Ganz catheter insertions
Monitoring blood pressure
Cardiac output measurements
Calibrate pressure transducers
4. Airway Management
Assist
physician with intubation
Perform and/or assist nursing staff with extubation
5. Evaluation of Oxygenation (Hemodynamic
Profile):
Oxygen
consumption
Oxygen transport
Percent arteriovenous shunt
6. Pulse Oximetry
7. Capnography
8. Treatment Modalities:
Give
aerosolized medication
Volume expansion
Intermittent Positive Pressure
Breathing
Incentive Spirometry
Deep breathing and coughing
Chest physical therapy
Nasotracheal suctioning
Endotracheal suctioning
Aerosol and humidity
9. Oxygen Therapy
10. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
(CPAP)
11. Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bipap)
12. Diagnostics:
Electrocardiogram
Arterial Blood Gases
Pulmonary Function Test (PFT or Spirometry)
Sputum Induction
Lab draws from invasive lines
13. Clinical Instructors
14. Respiratory Care by Protocols
Post-operative cardiac surgery
ventilatorprotocol
Mechanical
ventilation with Albuterol
protocol
Basic
Respiratory Care Protocols
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