Conditions are a Very common presentation in hospital and community settings with a vast array of investigations being assessed and treated by physiotherapy. Conditions which could present include pneumonia, chronic bronchitis asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, hyperventilation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Physiotherapists are trained to evaluate respiratory conditions and handle, treat and advise on them. Respiratory skills are an essential part of each physiotherapist’s training and early work if they have work in an acute area of practice. It is a tricky skill to learn and physiotherapists have a whole lot of responsibility for handling acutely unwell patients in hospitals.The patient’s notes and Observation charts are reviewed by the physiotherapist before going to see the individual in order to be clear regarding the medical diagnosis, opinion and therapy. The blood test results will be significant and the physiotherapist needs to have a great understanding of these.
The physiotherapist will introduce themselves to the individual and whilst questioning the patient about their illness will be observing their illness at exactly the exact same time, searching for the rate of respiration, hand nose and lip color oxygen or nebulizer treatments, the general wellness of the individual, their weight, the effort of breathing they are making and if they are using neck and arm muscles to assist breathing.If the blood oxygen saturations are under normal then the doctors will prescribe oxygen at a particular percentage for example 24 percent or 28 percent by means of a venture type administration device which maintains a constant oxygen concentration as variations in concentration could be damaging. Continuous gas delivery may dry the airways and the secretions, making north york physiotherapy clinic treatments more difficult so oxygen should always be treated humidified and warmed to body temperature from the suitable gas delivery circuit.
The Upcoming aspect for the physiotherapist to tackle is the air entry to the peripheral airways of the lungs. The airways can fall or become occluded by swelling or sputum, blocking air entry and reducing the lungs’ capacity to keep oxygen concentrations. Physiotherapists originally use breathing exercises to try to re-inflate the collapsed regions instructing the individual to try to breathe deeply every hour or so. Physiotherapists can apply Manual techniques straight clapping to disturb the secretions or using vibration and make coughing and expectoration likely. Flutter devices are useful to disturb the sputum as the patient breathes in the air that is vibrating. Surgery to the thorax or abdomen or fractured ribs may impair deep breathing and coughing and physiotherapists will encourage patients to take regular pain management medication and to encourage the wound or debilitating part whilst practicing their inspiration and huffing.
