Respiratory Care Department:

The Respiratory Care Department of Chester Regional Medical Center  was recently received recognition from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) as being a provider of quality respiratory care services to their patients and the community.

When it comes to caring for and aiding the physician in diagnosing problems with the lungs we can provide a variety of Pulmonary Function Test, from the basic spirometry, which is the first lung function test done this test measures how much and how quickly you can move air out your lungs, to the more in-depth study of Body Plethysmography, commonly used to measure the functional residual capacity of the lung, volume of the lung when the muscles of respiratory are relaxed as well as the Total Lung Capacity. These studies will help the physician with such diagnosis as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory issues and to what degree they be progress  This information will aid the physician in treating the patient in the best manner possible so that the patient will live as active and full life as possible. Spirometry is also a valuable guide for pre-anesthesia work up for deciding surgical fitness. These studies are done on an Out Patient basis allowing the patient to set times convenient for his/ her schedule.

Also, respiratory services are delivered to in-house patients with a physician order these services may include aerosol therapy with is the delivery of aerosol particles into the respiratory system for therapeutic purposes that may include removal of secretions from the air way, aiding in opening air ways in that breathing is made easier for patients presenting with such illness as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis.  These services are provided to all patients who may be admitted to our hospital from infancy to the elderly. A variety of other respiratory services may be ordered in conjunction with the aerosol treatments as deemed necessary by the physician.