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Respiratory Care Respiratory care at Pekin Hospital assists patients of all ages suffering from breathing problems. The department is staffed 24 hours a day by respiratory therapists and technicians and is overseen by board-certified pulmonologists.
Major functions of the department include pulmonary diagnostics and respiratory care. Pulmonary diagnostics assist the physician in determining the cause and extent of lung disease and needed treatment. Respiratory care provides treatment to relieve symptoms of lung disease, including emergency care and life support measures.
Pekin Hospital's Pulmonary Function Laboratory provides comprehensive tests available with a doctor's order. These include: spirometry, plethysmography, diffusion and bronchial provocation studies.
Treatment
In most cases, the treatment used for pulmonary diseases is medication that can be taken orally or inhaled. In severe respiratory diseases, oxygen therapy may also be required. When these treatments are not successful, mechanical ventilation could be indicated. For this reason, critical care medicine is complementary to pulmonary care. To help with the patient's breathing problems, pulmonary rehabilitation or respiratory therapy may be prescribed. Whatever the designated method, Pekin Hospital can provide the treatment needed to help patients breathe easier, distributing much-needed oxygen throughout the body and enabling tissues and organs to function properly.
Pekin Hospital offers diagnosis and treatment for the following pulmonary diseases:
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Asthma - a lung disease that makes breathing difficult for millions of Americans, both young and old. There is no cure for asthma, but the good news is it can be managed and treated so you can live a normal, healthy life.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - a chronic lung disease also known as emphysema, it is a very serious disease and the third leading cause of death in the United States. The good news is that COPD is often preventable and treatable.
- Emphysema - a pathological condition of the lungs that results in difficulty breathing and an increased susceptibility to infection.
- Bronchitis - chronic or acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes.
- Pneumonia - an acute or chronic disease marked by inflammation of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms; sometimes caused by physical and chemical irritants.
- Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) - a condition characterized by an exaggerated response of the immune system to the fungus Aspergillus; often occurs in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis.
- Bronchiectasis - abnormal expansion of the bronchi in the lungs, usually resulting when preexisting lung disease causes bronchial inflammation and obstruction.
- Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis - an inflammatory condition of the lung caused by inhalation of small organic or inorganic particles in susceptible individuals.
- Lung Cancer - the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women and still the most common cause of cancer death. It is most commonly caused by long-term cigarette smoking.
- Pulmonary Fibrosis - the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissue in the lungs, also described as scarring of the lung.
- Sarcoidosis - a disease of unknown origin characterized by the formation of lesions that can appear in the lungs and other areas of the body.
- And more...!
For additional information, check the American Lung Association website.
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