Are you ready to learn about breath sounds, lung sounds, and auscultation? I sure hope so because that is what this study guide is all about. As a Respiratory Therapist (or student), it goes without saying that you must fully know and understand auscultation and...
The ability to perform a patient assessment is essential for respiratory therapists. This includes taking a patient’s medical history, evaluating their current condition, and assessing their risk for future problems. This topic is important for respiratory therapists...
The best way to determine the depth of a patient’s respiration is to observe the degree of chest-wall movement during inspiration and expiration. When you take a breath in, the chest expands as your lungs fill with air. The deeper the breath, the more air enters...
Vital signs are measurements of the body’s most basic functions. They include temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Medical professionals use vital signs to get a general sense of a patient’s overall condition. They...
A patient who is healthy and at rest should have a respiratory rate and rhythm that is not labored with passive exhalation. This is known as normal breathing. However, some patients may show signs of an abnormal breathing pattern, which can occur due to a variety of...
An electrocardiogram, often abbreviated as EKG or ECG, is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. This is an important diagnostic tool that can be used to detect a number of heart conditions, such as arrhythmias, heart attacks, and other cardiac...
In order to provide the best possible care, respiratory therapists must be able to perform a comprehensive assessment of each individual patient. This assessment includes taking the patient’s medical history, evaluating their current condition, and assessing...
Thoracic imaging refers to the radiographic assessment of the chest and thoracic region. As a respiratory therapist or medical professional, this is a topic that you must be familiar with. To help, we created this study guide with practice questions designed to make...