Respiratory Therapy
"Our Family Caring for Yours"
Respiratory Therapy
Respiratory Therapy is an allied health specialty under medical direction for the treatment, management, control, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary systems. Respiratory Therapists are credentialed and licensed by the Texas Medical Board.
Many services at Rice Medical Center are offered in an outpatient setting as well as inpatient settings. An order from your doctor is necessary for all services.
Available Services:
- Arterial Blood Gase (ABG’s)
- Cardiac Holter Monitors
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Noninvasive Ventilation
- Patient Education
- Spirometry – Lung Function Testing
- Sleep Studies
- Asthma Treatment
- Breathing Treatments
Lung Function Testing
Spirometry is a common lung function test that measures how much air you can breathe in and out, and how quickly. It's a painless, non-invasive test used to assess and diagnose various respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatments.
What it measures:
- Forced Vital Capacity (FVC): The total amount of air that can be forcibly exhaled after a maximal inhalation.
- Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1): The amount of air forcefully exhaled in the first second of the FVC.
- FEV1/FVC ratio: The percentage of FVC exhaled in the first second, used to identify airflow obstruction.
How it's done:
- You'll sit and breathe into a mouthpiece connected to a spirometer.
- You'll be instructed to take a deep breath in and then exhale forcefully and completely.
- The spirometer measures the volume and speed of your airflow during this process.
- You may be asked to repeat the test several times to ensure accurate results.
- Sometimes, a bronchodilator (medication to relax your airways) may be administered, and the test repeated to assess if your lungs respond to the medication.
Why it's used:
- Diagnosis: Spirometry helps diagnose conditions like asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.
- Monitoring: It helps track the progression of lung diseases and the effectiveness of treatments.
- Risk assessment: It can be used to assess lung function before surgery or in individuals exposed to occupational hazards.
- Normal results:
Normal values are determined by age, height, sex, and ethnicity. Deviations from predicted values can indicate lung problems.
