Urgent Care Hours 
(563) Respiratory Care in Manchester
Take a deep breath – now imagine having to struggle for that deep breath. If you know that struggle, it’s time to see a specialist. Respiratory Care at Regional Medical Center offers testing, treatment, education and monitoring needed for lung-related conditions. A doctor order is required for any test or therapy to be performed.
Hours
- Mon-Fri | 7AM-5PM (by appointment only)
- Sat | 7-11AM (special consideration for Saturday morning appointments)
Contact
- 563-927-7354 | RMC Respiratory Care
- Provider referrals are required for all tests except electrocardiogram.
Patient Parking & Entrance
- Parking Lot 1, Entrance A
- Register at East Registration in River Ridge Pavilion
What to Expect
- Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes
- Bring a copy of your medications with you
Respiratory Services
Cardiac Event Monitoring is used to record your heart rhythm when symptoms are experienced. It also provides a beat-by-beat analysis of your heart activity and transmits certain abnormal beats.
- This monitoring involves wearing a very small patch with a sensor on your chest and carrying a portable monitor (cell phone) over a period of time. During the time the monitor is worn, the Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry (MCOT) will monitor your heart and send data automatically to the “Philips Biotel Heart Monitor Center”. You will also have the ability to record symptoms as you feel them and those will be listed on the report given to your healthcare provider.
- At the end of your 30 days or designated time period, return your monitor to RMC’s Respiratory Care Department.
- Staff will instruct you on the daily use and maintenance of the MCOT
A Holter Monitor is a small, portable device that continuously records your heart rate and rhythm to help determine if you have heart problems that may not be detected during a doctor’s office visit or by an electrocardiogram (ECG).
- If you are experiencing chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, a Holter Monitor may indicate cardiac issues that need treatment. This is used to determine the functioning of the heart after cardiac surgery or to see if medication you take to treat heart rhythm problems are working as they should.
- This device should be worn for 24 hours up to 5 days while performing your usual daily activities unless restricted by your provider. You should NOT swim, shower, bathe or otherwise get the device wet.
- What to expect:
- You will need to keep a diary of symptoms of the duration of the test.
- The diary should include the date, time of day, duration and type of symptoms (palpitation, heart racing, chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting) as well as periods of rest and physical activity.
- The correlation between symptom recorded on diary provides the exact time the symptoms occurred and will allow the technician to evaluate and determine abnormal heart activity.
- After Test:
- Please provide a detailed diary to the Respiratory Care Department when you return for the removal of your monitor. If you are removing the monitor yourself, please follow these instructions:
- Remove the white patches from your chest and throw the used patches away.
- Place monitor, lead wires and diary in the zip lock bag provided and return it to the Regional Medical Center Respiratory Care Department at your earliest convenience.
- A cardiologist will review the recordings and your healthcare provider will inform you of the results at the next visit or sooner, if needed.
- Please provide a detailed diary to the Respiratory Care Department when you return for the removal of your monitor. If you are removing the monitor yourself, please follow these instructions:
Overnight Oximetry is a diagnostic test which can help give a better understanding of the underlying problem causing an individuals’ sleep disorder.
- What to expect:
- This test is typically performed at home while sleeping.
- The Oximetry unit will be taken home overnight for the test and returned to the Respiratory Care Department the following morning.
- It involves the use of a probe which is worn on the finger to continuously measure oxygen and levels of heart rate.
- A red light and sensor that detect changes in the color of blood that may suggest desaturation (or loss of oxygen) are occurring.
- It may identify individuals at risk for nocturnal breathing disorder such as sleep apnea or hypoxemia, and may be used to identify those who need additional evaluation such as with a polysomnogram or additional oxygen to your treatment regimen.
Pulmonary Function Tests are various tests that measure lung capacity, degree of obstruction and measures how well your lungs are working. Results of the tests may explain shortness of breath, different types of lung problems and whether your breathing problems are a risk during general anesthesia.
- Pre-Test Instructions
- You must refrain from smoking 4-6 hours prior to the test
- Do not eat a heavy meal 2-4 hours prior to testing
- Avoid using a bronchodilator (if possible) or other drugs for 24 hours prior to the test (or as specified by your doctor)
- If this is your first time – hold on using your long acting bronchodilator at least 28 hours prior to testing
- Our staff will advise you of specific medicine avoidance required for Methacholine & Exercise Challenge
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict breathing
- Loose-fitting dentures may be removed
- What to Expect:
- You will be seated throughout testing; the Respiratory Therapist will coach you through a series of breathing techniques. These exercises will require real effort on your part, however are not too hard. Rest periods will be granted if needed.
- A tight fitting clip is placed on your nose to prevent the air from escaping through your nostrils
- You will be asked to place your mouth tightly around a mouth piece
- The therapist will instruct you to perform various breathing exercises; taking a deep breath, holding it briefly, panting and/or forcefully blowing the air out through the mouthpiece
- Medication may be given to assess response to a bronchodilator
- Methacholine Challenge requires administration via inhalation of a challenge agent
- Exercise Challenge will require you to exercise on the treadmill or bicycle to achieve and sustain a target heart rate for a specific time
- Results of the test will be read by a pulmonologist. Your primary care provider will follow up with results at your next appointment (or sooner if required).
- Blood draw may be performed (if required)
- You will be seated throughout testing; the Respiratory Therapist will coach you through a series of breathing techniques. These exercises will require real effort on your part, however are not too hard. Rest periods will be granted if needed.
Regional Medical Center’s Pulmonary Rehab program is designed to help you improve your quality of life by improving your lung function. It can help increase your strength and endurance, control stress, conserve energy and learn effective breathing techniques. These techniques will teach you how to get more oxygen into your lungs, preventing shortness of breath while performing daily living activities.
- The program is held 2-3 times a week, with various options to fit your schedule. Each class consists of 12-24 sessions of supervised exercise and education to fit your personal goals. In order for this program to be successful, you must have a desire to work hard, become more active, stop smoking and lead a healthy lifestyle.
- 563-927-7354 (Contact us to see if you qualify) | RMC Pulmonary Rehab Program
An electrocardiogram (ECG) records electrical signals in your heart. It’s a painless test to detect heart problems and monitor your heart health. This non-invasive test helps to diagnose many common heart problems.
- Why may your doctor order this test? To detect:
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- If blocked or narrowed arteries (coronary artery disease) in the heart are causing chest pain or heart attack
- Whether you have had a previous heart attack
- Assess how well certain heart diseases treatments are working (ex: pacemaker)
- Screen before surgery
- No Appointment Required