Respiratory Care provides a breath of fresh air
When the majority of us hear the call of a Code MET over the loudspeaker, we may pause for a second but then continue on with our day. However, for a select group of employees, this is the call to spring into action. One important member of each hospital's Code MET team ready to respond to such calls is the respiratory therapist.
"We are an intricate part of the Code MET team," said Barbara Petty, assistant director, Respiratory Care, EUH. "This team preempts having to call a Dr. 99. If a patient starts to have trouble, we can assess them immediately and prevent other major problems."
Emory Healthcare's Code MET team outcomes have been so good, the organization was awarded first place in the Hospital/Health System Category for the 2009 PHA Quality and Patient Safety Awards.
But, taking part in Code METs is far from the total scope of a respiratory therapist's job. The respiratory therapists at Emory Healthcare work with patients of all age groups and provide all types of services, from home care oxygen therapy to the treatment of patients on a ventilator in critical care.
Additional responsibilities
The Clifton Road Campus Respiratory Care team, which services EUH, EUOSH and WWGH, is very actively involved in preventing ventilator-acquired pneumonia. Their role is to get patients off of ventilators sooner, which reduces the change of infection.
At late, Respiratory Care systemwide has been involved in assisting in the care of EHC's patients with novel H1N1. Some of these patients require aggressive airway management and ventilator support. The respiratory therapists work with the physicians to wean the patients off ventilator support and get them on the road to being healthy.
In addition, EHC's respiratory therapists work with pulmonologists to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension, like transplant patients. Other patient populations respiratory therapists work with include cystic fibrosis and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) patients.
From babies to seniors
The respiratory therapists over on the Midtown Campus assist in the treatment of patients of all ages, all the way down to the newest additions to our world, the newborns. The therapists work with other members of the neonatal team to prepare any babies born with respiratory complications to go home and live long, healthy lives.
Across the city on the Clifton Road Campus, the respiratory therapists work with the oldest members of EHC's patient population at WWGH. "Our therapists do a great job of assisting patients who have had longtime ventilator support wean off of this support and transition to where they are ready to go home," said Petty.
No matter the patient's age or ailment, Respiratory Care is there to provide assistance and support for our patients with breathing complications. So, the next time you hear a Code MET called, think about this special member of the Code MET team and all they do to provide quality care for our patients.
