Respiratory Care | Respiratory Therapist Technicians
The Respiratory Care Department at Flushing Hospital provides 24-hour clinical support to the hospital’s medical staff and offers a wide range of conventional and advanced services to patients with breathing difficulties. The department is staffed by NYS licensed respiratory therapists who are essential members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team who work in collaboration with the physicians and nurses to provide compassionate, high-quality, inpatient and outpatient care to all areas of the hospital. At Flushing Hospital, a highly trained respiratory care therapist or respiratory therapist technician can create individualized treatment plans to help you get the breathing help you need.
Flushing Hospital is a recipient of the “Quality Respiratory Care Recognition” seal awarded by the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC), the professional organization of respiratory therapists. The hospital has received this honor for “superior provision of service” to patients receiving respiratory care services.
- Inpatient services include:
- Airway management: including endotracheal intubation and tracheal tube replacement
- Initiation and management of all patients receiving invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation
- Application of a comprehensive ventilator weaning program for all adult patients
- Advanced modalities such as high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and nitric oxide administration for our neonates
- Aerosol medication and oxygen therapies
- Patient education
- Diagnostic procedures: sputum induction, bedside spirometry, arterial punctures
- Operation of a blood gas laboratory which is fully accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), overseen by a technical director with medical direction provided by a board-certified pathologist. Tests include ph/blood gas, CO oximetry, and electrolyte analysis.
- Outpatient services provided by our respiratory therapist technicians include:
Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) – tests include:
- Bronchospasmic evaluation: Pre and Post bronchodilator
- Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV)
- Lung volume via nitrogen washout
- Pulmonary diffusion capacity
- Simple pulmonary stress test: 6-minute walk
- Pulse oximetry – at rest and at exercise
- Arterial blood gas/CO oximetry/electrolyte analysis