Inhalation therapy is both a clinical and scientific discipline. At AUBMC, we provide a full range of respiratory care services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our range of services includes airway management, conventional and nonconventional invasive mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilatory support, conventional and nonconventional medical gas therapies, arterial blood gas sampling and analysis, deep tracheal aspiration, inter- and intra-hospital transport of critically ill patients, and nebulization of antibiotics and bronchodilators. These services are provided to all patients’ populations (neonates, pediatrics, and adults) throughout the medical center.
Our division was the first in the country and probably in the region to introduce several state-of-the-art therapies such as:
- Noninvasive mechanical ventilation
- High frequency oscillatory ventilation
- Airway Pressure Release Ventilation
- Mechanical ventilation during Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
- Inhaled nitric oxide therapy for both intubated and mechanically ventilated patients as well as spontaneously breathing patients
- Inhaled heliox therapy
- Ultrasonic nebulization of antibiotics and bronchodilators for mechanically ventilated and spontaneously breathing patients
Over the last decade, a yearly average of more than 1,250 patients received mechanical ventilation at AUB-MC for a total of more than 10,000 days of treatment. On a yearly basis, we provide approximately 15,000 sessions/interventions of respiratory care and around 25,000 arterial blood gas sampling and analysis.
However, activities in the division are not only limited to clinical work and include teaching and research. Medical students as well as residents and fellows from different medical specialties (e.g., anesthesiology, pulmonary, surgery, neonatology, and pediatrics) are exposed to evidence-based knowledge in respiratory care practices during teaching rounds as well as formal teaching sessions and workshops. Collaborative research efforts among physicians and respiratory therapists have resulted in the publications of more than 70 articles and 19 abstracts related to the practices of anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, and respiratory care in peer-reviewed international medical journals.
Our major strength remains the staff in the division. They consistently show high levels of professionalism, dedication and commitment to our center and patients.
Mohamad Khatib, PhD Inhalation Therapy Division Director