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The Role of the Respiratory Care Practitioner
Most people take breathing for granted. It's second nature, an involuntary reflex. But for the thousands of Americans who suffer from breathing problems, each breath is a major accomplishment. Those people include patients with chronic lung problems, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, but they also include heart attack and accident victims; premature infants; and people with cystic fibrosis, lung cancer or AIDS.
There are more than 100,000 respiratory care practitioners in the U.S. They are members of the health care team that provide respiratory care for patients with heart and lung disorders. Typically, respiratory care practitioners are a vital part of the hospital's lifesaving response team that answers patient emergencies.
While most respiratory care practitioners work in hospitals, an increasing number of them have branched out into alternate care settings, such as nursing homes, physicians' offices, home health agencies, specialized care hospitals, medical equipment supply companies and patients' homes.
Respiratory Care Practitioners perform procedures that are both diagnostic and therapeutic.
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The Outlook
The need for Respiratory Care Professionals is expected to grow in the coming years due to the large increase in the ederly population; the impact of environmental problems that have already contributed to the yearly rise in the number of reported asthma cases; and technological advances in the treatment of heart attack, cancer, accident victims and premature babies.
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