Respiratory Care: Media

Sensors on asthma inhalers generate real-time maps of environmental dangers to help patients, physicians and disease detectives in Louisville, Kentucky.

For millions of people with respiratory illnesses, every breath is a struggle for life. Free to Breathe, Free to Live is a reality-style documentary that allows viewers to step inside the lives of patients who are grappling with respiratory diseases—and winning. Children attending specialized camps for youths with asthma are spotlighted, as are a number of adults battling a variety of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. (58 minutes)

For students interested in combining technical duties with personalized patient care, the job of respiratory therapist stands out. This program focuses on the responsibilities and rewards of the position, the skills and qualities it requires, and the financial and personal advantages a registered respiratory therapist can expect. Presenting interviews with both young and veteran RRTs, the video describes the 2-year and 4-year training programs that lead to the position and the duties an RRT performs, such as evaluating a patient’s breathing capacity, setting up and initializing a ventilator, guiding patients through ventilator or nebulizer treatments—and perhaps even joining a rapid response medical team. The chance to work in a variety of settings and assist many different types of patients is also explored. Recommendations for appropriate high school courses in biology, chemistry, and math are spotlighted. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. Correlates to national and state board certification standards. A Meridian Production. (21 minutes)

NIOSH only considered PMF cases among working miners. NPR found 2,000 cases among unemployed miners across Appalachia. A Virginia clinic has nearly 800 advanced black lung cases alone; former director Ron Carson discusses their sacrifice for fellow Americans. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

As COVID-19 spread from Asia to the Middle East to Europe, why was the US caught so unprepared? Despite repeated warnings of a potent contagion headed our way, America’s leaders failed to prepare and protect us. Why and who is accountable?