Respiratory Therapy

Southeastern Idaho is known for its wide-open landscapes and fresh, clean air. At North Canyon Medical Center, we want everyone to have the joy of breathing deep and taking in all that is this wonderful place we are all blessed to live.

Your respiratory health matters to us because so much of your and your family’s ability to enjoy life depends on being able to breathe well. In fact, much of maintaining a healthy lifestyle depends on a set of healthy lungs. Every muscle and organ in your body require oxygen to function — this means every pump of the heart and every step you take depends on your lungs.

This is why we have an entire department dedicated to Respiratory Therapy — to make sure that, when necessary, every aspect of your respiratory health is well managed.

Our team of Respiratory Therapists is a group of specially trained healthcare professionals. They work together with our physicians to provide a wide range of respiratory care, respiratory procedures, and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and many other lung related conditions.

To ensure that we offer the best in respiratory therapy, we approach our diagnoses, treatments, and therapies by adhering to national standards of care. These standards of care are established by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. and the American Association for Respiratory Care. Using these national standards for respiratory therapy, we make sure every patient receives the care deemed the most appropriate and most effective based on the latest research and leaders in tis highly specified field of healthcare.

At North Canyon Medical Center, our Respiratory Therapy department helps manage patients with breathing disorders by providing assessments, respiratory monitoring, physician directed therapy, and various diagnostic tests. We evaluate, treat, and assist with the care of all age groups of patients. Ranging from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to geriatric patients with lung diseases and everything in between, we are ready for all types of illnesses and conditions of the lungs.

Additionally, we treat patients experiencing emergency respiratory issues related to illness and injury. Our team of therapists also provides important information and education on self-management techniques that help individuals and families deal with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD.

Unhealthy lungs can be caused by a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. We treat

respiratory problems that may be caused by but are not limited to:

• Allergic reactions
• Bacterial infections (such as sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, or tuberculosis)
• Viral infections (such as colds, sore throats, flu, croup, bronchiolitis, or RSV)
• Asthma
• Lung cancer
• Anxiety
• Congestive heart failure
• Other causes (such as inhaled or swallowed objects, exposure to cigarette smoke, or cystic fibrosis)

When you feel like you can’t breathe, nothing else matters! Whether you are in the Emergency Department or on an inpatient unit, we will make sure you get the healthcare you deserve. Our highly trained Respiratory Therapists perform many diagnostic and analytic procedures, such as evaluating lung capacity, performing chest physiotherapy, and monitoring cardiopulmonary systems. Treatment may require medication, intensive care, and pulmonary rehabilitation.

The NCMC Respiratory Therapy department offers the following inpatient services:

• Emergency resuscitation
• Oxygen administration (via numerous devices, as ordered by a physician).
• Pulmonary hygiene (including chest physiotherapy, cough-assist, suctioning, or use of incentive spirometry and other patient-use devices for airway clearance or increasing lung volume)
• Inhaled pulmonary medications (delivered via nebulizer, aerosol, or inhalers)
• Non-invasive ventilator support (using the latest technologies)

North Canyon Medical Center’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic (ROC) serves southeastern Idaho, meeting the respiratory needs of patients young and old.

The staff at the ROC is equipped with the critical thinking, assessment skills, and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines necessary to develop and execute optimal care plans, protocols, and disease management programs.

Our Respiratory Therapists’ knowledge of anatomy, cardiopulmonary physiology, and pathophysiology, combined with their experience and training, help them effectively assess, educate, and treat patients in the outpatient setting. From cardiopulmonary disorders to chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, our team will help you and your family on the path to optimal health, so you can live the life you deserve.

Outpatient Services

• Cardiac stress testing
• Pulmonary function testing
• Pulse oximetry

At North Canyon Medical Center, the ROC provides support for children 8 weeks to 24 months old with bronchiolitis, commonly referred to as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) for the virus that most often causes bronchiolitis. With a referral from your child’s primary care provider, our team of Respiratory Therapists will complete an assessment of your child’s condition and treat them accordingly. Common treatments include small volume nebulizers and suctioning. These treatments relieve the labored breathing caused by RSV and improve your child’s ability to breathe, sleep, eat, and drink. These treatments help avoid additional complications like dehydration and hospitalization.

Bronchiolitis is a viral infection of the lower breathing passages and is a very common illness in infants and young children less than 2 years of age. Bronchiolitis occurs most often between November and April. The disease causes inflammation throughout the entire network of breathing passageways. This includes the bronchioles, which are the smallest air passages in the lungs. The inflammation caused by bronchiolitis leads to partial or complete blockage of the air passages.

Several different viruses that cause colds and flu-like illnesses can cause bronchiolitis, but RSV is the most frequent cause of this condition. Young children catch these viruses through close contact with older children, family members, or others who are sick. The virus is spread when a sick person coughs or sneezes near another person’s face. The virus can also be spread when a child touches contaminated objects with their hands and then touch their eyes or nose. Signs and symptoms of the illness begin about 3-7 days after exposure.

It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of RSV.

Bronchiolitis usually begins as a cold, and symptoms often include:

• Fever
• Runny nose or nasal stuffiness
• Mild cough
• Loss in appetite
• Mild problems breathing

As the virus spreads to the small airways of the lungs (1-3 days later), a whistling sound called wheezing may be heard when the child breathes out. At this time, symptoms worsen and broaden to include:

• Rapid breathing (60-80 breaths per minute)
• Mild to severe breathing problems
• Constant coughing
• Problems eating
• Apnea – babies born early or under the age of 2 months may stop breathing for short periods of time.

In healthy infants and children, bronchiolitis usually goes away on its own, but for many, the symptoms can become severe, and hospitalization may be required.

If your child has been diagnosed with bronchiolitis or RSV, please ask your physician for a referral to our Respiratory Outpatient Clinic for additional treatment.

If you or your family members have any need for respiratory therapies or treatments, the team at North Canyon Medical Center is ready to care for you.