Respiratory Therapy Services
Pulmonary Diagnostics
A Pulmonary Function Study(PFT) measures how much and how fast you can breathe. It also may measure how you respond to a medication that affects your breathing or a safe combination of inspired gases to measure how your lung functions. It is harmless and painless.
Arterial Blood Gas (ABG), Oxygen Saturation (O2 Sat)
An arterial blood gas measures how much oxygen and carbon dioxide your arterial blood contains. This information will help determine how well your lungs are functioning. It is a needle sample so it can be slightly painful. O2 saturation is obtained by putting a probe on your finger or other site to measure how much oxygen is saturated in your blood. It does not take the place of an ABG but can be used for diagnostic information also. It may be done at rest, during a 5 minute walk or overnight. It is harmless and painless.
Pulmonary Staff
A Board Certified Pulmonologist will interpret the PFT, ABG or O2 Sat Study to determine how your lungs are working and how your breathing is being affected. All respiratory therapists performing the tests are registered or certified by the National Board for Respiratory Care and are licensed by the State of Florida. These studies are available for patients admitted to the hospital per their physician's request and as an outpatient service.
To schedule an appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (561) 374-5700.
For more information, please call (561) 737-7733, ext. 83526.
Outpatient Respiratory Therapy
Outpatient respiratory breathing treatments are available for patients needing help in breathing or clearing mucus. Respiratory disease education such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is also available. A physician order for these services is necessary.
Outpatient Respiratory Therapy Staff
All respiratory therapists are registered or certified by the National Board for Respiratory Care and are licensed by the State of Florida.
To schedule an appointment, please call Centralized Scheduling at (561) 374-5700.
For more information about Outpatient Respiratory Therapy, please call (561) 737-7733, ext. 83526.
Inpatient Respiratory Therapy
If you are a patient in the hospital, respiratory services has procedures to help get your breathing back to normal. This may mean getting medication in a vapor form to help open your breathing passages, getting oxygen or other specialty gases to help you breathe, or it could be that you may be assisted in your breathing with the help of machines that breathe for you. If there is a life threatening emergency, respiratory therapists are one of the first to arrive and are all trained to provide life saving procedures.
Hours of Operation
The Respiratory Therapy Department is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Staff
Working under the direction of a Board Certified Pulmonologist and in conjunction with the licensed Medical Staff of Bethesda Hospital East, all respiratory therapists are registered or certified by the National Board for Respiratory Care and are licensed by the State of Florida.