Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 College Catalog 
    
2021-2022 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

RTH 121 - Basic Therapeutics

3 Credits, 3 Contact Hours
3 lecture periods 0 lab periods

Basic respiratory care therapeutics, equipment function, clinical indications and contraindications. Includes medical gas therapy, oxygen delivery devices, humidity and aerosol therapy, hyperinflation therapy, chest physical therapy, and basic airway management.

Corequisite(s): RTH 110 , RTH 112 , RTH 121LB , RTH 156  
Information: Students must be admitted to the PCC Respiratory Care program and obtain consent of the Respiratory Care department before enrolling in this course. See a program advisor prior to enrollment.
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Course Learning Outcomes
  1. Explain the principles related to the appropriate and safe administration of the following basic respiratory care therapeutics:
    1. Medical gas therapy
    2. Oxygen delivery devices
    3. Humidity and aerosol therapy
    4. Hyperinflation therapy
    5. Chest physical therapy
    6. Basic airway management
  2. Determine the appropriateness of the prescribed respiratory care plan and recommend modifications where indicated.
  3. Select and obtain equipment appropriate to the respiratory care plan.
  4. Initiate, administer, monitor, and terminate the above listed therapies.
  5. Apply the principles of operation to troubleshooting and correcting malfunctions of equipment used in these procedures.
  6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the respiratory care plan based upon the patients’ response to these therapies.

Outline:
  1. Medical Gas Therapy
    1. Production, storage, and delivery of medical gases
    2. Characteristics of medical gases
    3. Oxygen and other medical gas therapies
    4. Oxygen delivery equipment
  2. Oxygen Delivery Devices
    1. Clinical indications for oxygen therapy
    2. Identification of low-flow versus high-flow systems
    3. Proper assembly of equipment
    4. Hazards of oxygen therapy
    5. Troubleshooting equipment
  3. Humidity and Aerosol Therapy
    1. Clinical indications for humidity and aerosol therapy
    2. General principles of equipment operation
    3. Physics of aerosol delivery
    4. Hazards of aerosol therapy
  4. Hyperinflation Therapy
    1. Physiological and clinical application
    2. Incentive spirometry
    3. Intermittent positive pressure breathing
    4. Positive airway pressure therapy
    5. Selecting an approach
  5. Chest Physical Therapy
    1. Goals of chest physical therapy
    2. Indications
    3. Patient assessment
    4. Complications and adverse effects of chest physical therapy
  6. Basic Airway Management
    1. Indications for artificial airways
    2. Pharyngeal airways
    3. Nasotracheal suctioning
    4. Oropharyngeal suctioning
    5. Complications of suctioning
    6. Equipment needed for suctioning


Effective Term:
Full Academic Year 2018/2019