The Physiotherapists’ role within ICU can be separated into two key areas Respiratory Care (below) and Rehabilitation.
Patients on ICU may require mechanical ventilation to help their breathing.
During this time the physiotherapists will assess the patients’ breathing pattern, depth of breath and whether or not they have any sputum (phlegm) to clear.
Treatments may involve
- Positioning to help clear the sputum from the lungs.
- Manual techniques such as vibrations. These are applied to the ribs to try to loosen and clear the sputum
- Suction which involves placing a small tube into the lungs to suck out the excess sputum.
- Encouraging deep breathing and effective coughs.
- Early activity such as sitting and moving in bed. This encourages deep breaths and coughing.
Physiotherapists also help wean patients off ventilation, which means reducing support so that patients produce more effort to breath for themselves.
Comments are closed