slideshow widget

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My answers to your querries

One of my favorite things to do on this RT cave is to answer your questions. What follows are web queries that lead someone to my blog, and my humble responses. I hope this can be of help to someone.

1. how does the hypoxic drive affects the brain? Lack of oxygen can kill brain cells.

2. atrovent doses to lower potassium: No.

3. use unprescribed ventolin inhaler: Unwise.

4. coarse vs snoring lung sounds: Snoring is defined well by Wikipedia: "Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. Coarse lung sounds are caused by fluid or secretions in lower or upper passageways in the lungs. If in the upper airway, the fluid may cause an audible snoring sound, hence the confusion.

5. allergy to ventolin: A very small percentage of patients claim to be allergic to ventolin, but I think most of the time someone makes this claim it is false. Most of the patients I've seen make this claim became "coincidentally" nauseous while using Ventolin and blames the Ventolin. However, nausea is not caused by allergies.

6. nebulizer tx q1 for pediatrics: If indicated it is safe for most patients. Yet this should only be done under in the hospital under the care of a physician.
7. ippb sucks: I bet. It sucks for the RT too that we know it only works to overdistend the good alveoli and doctors still order it, but more often than not at the insistence of older RTs who still believe old and outdated research.

8. do you get less respect as a respiratory therapist if you don't work in a hospital: That's a good question. I don't know. Of course, are you assuming RTs in hospital are respected? While RT respect is growing, we still lag behind respect of doctors for their nurse. But, some nurses aren't respected either, so the cycle continues.

9. nurses and respiratory therapists get paid the same: Not usually. Where I work RNs get paid way better.

10. breathing treatments one year old baby second hand smoke: Anyone who smokes in front of their kids is a pinhead. And smoking in front of kids can increase the chance of breathing complications and the need for meds like Ventolin.

Any further questions let me know: Freadom1776@yahoo.com.

1 comment:

Genevieve said...

what I don't get is how my PFT's can be perfect but I'm short of breath, very tight, doc hears coarse souns in rght lower lobe, been fighting thick mucus from my lungs for the last 5 months. How can my pft's be perfect with all of this and a diagnosis of bronchiectasis & CF. Wow, if u can give me a lil of your knowledge, I'd really appreciate it.