Life Saving Efforts of Respiratory Therapists Highlighted During 25th Anniversary of Respiratory Care Week

Embargoed until Oct. 23

DALLAS (Oct. 23, 2006)—For 39 million Americans suffering from lung disease, breathing is not something taken for granted. Nor is their appreciation for the skill, training, experience and care of the respiratory therapists who help maintain and improve their breathing.

Today the American Association for Respiratory Care marks the 25th anniversary of Respiratory Care Week (Oct. 22–28) to recognize more than 132,000 respiratory therapists in the United States who work to help patients with lung disease. Of the 39 million Americans suffering from lung disease, 15 million have asthma and 24 million have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Cindy Wilson is one of those patients and she doesn’t believe she would be living if it weren’t for the care of Gail Harris, a respiratory therapist at Stroger Hospital in Chicago. Now 50, Wilson started smoking at 18. It wasn’t until 26 years later that she found herself struggling to breathe one day while walking up the stairs to board an “L” train. She was gasping so badly that she went to the emergency room.

“It happened very quickly,” said Wilson, mother of four who lives on the Northwest Side of Chicago. “The doctors were concerned and put me on prednisone and all types of inhalers. I was released from the hospital seven days later, but the doctors were very concerned that I had such a rough bout at my age (then 44).”

Wilson was sent for a pulmonary function test and was diagnosed with COPD. Her blood tests showed she also had Alpha-1 Antitrypsin related emphysema. With her years of smoking plus a genetic pre-disposition to Alpha 1, her lung disease was diagnosed as advanced.

She was prescribed four inhalation medications and a recommendation to take pulmonary rehabilitation at Stroger. That’s where she met Gail Harris.

“I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for Gail Harris and Stroger Hospital,” said Wilson, who reports to the rehab clinic twice a week. Harris has been a registered respiratory therapist for 17 years and started the pulmonary rehabilitation clinic at Stroger in 1999.

“She saves peoples lives,” said Dr. Robert Cohen, who heads the divisions of pulmonary medicine & critical care at Cook County’s public hospital. “She is like a coach on a sports team and the patients are like her athletes. Gail teaches the patients how to get the most out of their pulmonary function and live with the impairment. She cajoles, scolds, educates and exercises them. She is the heart and soul of the clinic.”

There are approximately 45 respiratory therapists at Stroger providing in-patient care with ventilation, oxygen treatment and nebulizer therapy. Most patients with a severe asthma attack or COPD exacerbation stay in the hospital only a few days. But some are recommended for continued out-patient treatment in the pulmonary rehab clinic and those are the patients that Harris works to help.

The rehab sessions run six weeks and Harris will usually have about twenty five patients in the program for each session. When a patient graduates from the program they are given the option to continue with "maintenance" classes for one year. Harris also leads a monthly "Better Breathers" support group.

“A lot of the patients who come to rehab are afraid,” said Harris, who received her associate degree from Malcolm X College. “They don’t think they can do the exercises, so I encourage them not to give up. My reward is three weeks down the line when I see the patients encouraging each other.”

There are more than 132,000 respiratory therapists in the country, who like Harris, are committed to helping patients suffering lung disease. The American Association for Respiratory Care provides a communication link to help keep this highly trained army of RTs up to date on all of the important news and education.

“Respiratory Care Week is that time of year when we recognize the importance of respiratory therapy to our lung health,” said Tom Kallstrom, associate executive director of the American Association for Respiratory Care. “It is a week-long event to demonstrate pride in the profession and in the individual accomplishments of respiratory therapists throughout the world.”

History of Respiratory Care Week
In 1982, the American Association for Respiratory Therapy (later changed to American Association for Respiratory Care) officially designated the last week in October as Respiratory Care Week to draw national attention to the importance of lung health. The announcement came from the Oval Office when then-president Ronald Reagan supported the efforts of the organization. The event is in October because the fall is typically a time when patients suffering lung disease have difficulty breathing and may need help.

“This is an important time to provide patients with educational messages that will benefit them,” said Kallstrom, a registered respiratory therapist for more than 30 years. “There are things respiratory patients can do to help themselves. We hope to point them in the right direction.”

During Respiratory Care Week hospitals, schools and other institutions acknowledge the year-round efforts of respiratory therapists. In addition, many respiratory care departments have open houses, sponsor special activities for the public and perform community events.

About the AARC
The American Association for Respiratory Care, headquartered in Dallas, is a professional association of respiratory therapists that focuses primarily on respiratory therapy education and research. The organization’s goals are to ensure that respiratory patients receive safe and effective care from qualified professionals as well as supporting respiratory health care providers. The association continues to advocate on behalf of pulmonary patients for appropriate access to respiratory services provided by qualified professionals. Further information about the AARC and how to become a respiratory therapist are available at www.aarc.org.

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Contact: John Ruane
Ruane Communications
(678) 585-0176
or
Sherry Milligan
American Association For Respiratory Care
(972) 406-4656