Department of Respiratory Therapy

History:

The Respiratory therapy (RT) program has started officially in September 2018 with the first batch; 12 male and 5 female student.

Vision:

The department aspires to be an outstanding and leading center for the respiratory care profession among all universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mission:

The department’s mission is to occupy a leading role in serving the society and promoting medical research by introducing specialized academic programs in respiratory care profession, and graduating professionals with the highest qualification, abided with Islamic teaching, and utmost professionalism.

Department requirements:

Department requires of 66 credit hours of compulsory courses and 12 credit hours of selective courses.

Compulsory courses from the department:

Compulsory courses outside the department:

List of selective courses:

The department selective courses is composed of 12 hourse as it is shown on the following table:

courses description:

ANTM 204 – Anatomy for medical rehabilitation sciences

This course will present the structures of the human body. The course provides an introduction to regional anatomy, anatomy of the upper limbs, anatomy of the lower limb, vertebral column, head and neck. Instructional methods include classroom lectures, tutorial lessons, assignments, and practical sessions.

PHYM 204 – Physiology for medical rehabilitation sciences

This course will provide basic information on the physiological mechanisms and function of all of the body systems. The course also includes a summary of cellular structure, skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle, and mechanisms of contraction, , and regulation of metabolism.

BCHM 202 – Biochemstry for medical rehabilitation sciences

This course will provide  the fundamentals of physio-chemical principles. This course includes the chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, vitamins and enzymes. Also presented are the metabolisms of, carbohydrates, lipids,  and proteins. The  biochemistry of muscles fatigue will also be included.

PSY 399 – Psychology for medical rehabilitation sciences

This course will explore the contribution of psychology to the understanding of human behavior personal or group levels. Topics include definition of psychology and its fundamental and applied branches, personality and its different aspects, social environment and its elements, interaction between personality and environment. Also included are different psychological functions such as perception, memory and learning, society and its effects on individuals, application of psychology to the different domains of practice. This course will discuss patient compliance and  satisfaction with the medical care  received, factors which influence the behavior and expectation of health professionals and the efficiency of the care they provide.

PHTH 402 – Management for medical rehabilitation sciences

This course will provide a conceptual framework for moral reasoning in dealing with ethical and professional issues in daily practice.  Basic knowledge in health services, planning and management will be presented. Attention will be directed toward records, policies and procedure manuals, departmental planning and design, personnel management, leadership, and staff supervision and evaluation.

ANTM 210 – Anatomy

This course will present anatomy of the thorax, thoracic wall and diaphragm, thoracic cavity superior mediastinum, anterior mediastinum,  middle mediastinum and heart, posterior mediastinum, pleura, lungs, osteology of the thoracic wall,  abdominal wall, abdominal muscles, and back muscles. Also discussed are the central and autonomic nervous systems, cranial cavity and  meninges, central nervous system, cerebral hemispheres (forebrain, brain stem, cerebellum, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, brachial plexus and lumbo-sacral plexuses.

PHYM 210 – Physiology

This course is a continuation of the physiological mechanisms of body systems. The course includes heart and circulation, endocrine glands, nervous system and autonomic nervous system. Renal system physiology and aspects of metabolism will also be described

PATM 310 – Pathology

This  will provide basic knowledge and general principles of  pathology. Course content includes cell injury, inflammation, and acute and  chronic inflammation, cell regeneration, wound healing, infections, homodynamic disorders, neoplasia, and autoimmune disorders.

PHAM 310 – Pharmacolgy

This course  will discuss principles of pharmacology. Course content includes modes of drug action, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, drug addiction and abuse Clinical pharmacokinetics will emphasize analgesics, corticosteroids, drugs affecting cardiovascular and respiratory medications andneuromuscular blocking agents, drugs and athletes, and drugs used by phonophoresis and iontophoresis.

RSTH 221 – Blodd gases and acid base balanace

This course will present the fundamentals of acid-base physiology, as well as the means to interpret arterial blood gas samples. Various respiratory and renal causes of acid-base disturbances will be included. The technique involved obtaining  arterial blood samples from the radial artery will also be presented.

RSTH 231 – Respiratory diseases

This course will  entail various cardiopulmonary diseases. The course  will stress the development of information gathering and decision making skills in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiopulmonary diseases or related disorders. The clinical application of respiratory therapy will be emphasized.

RSTH 222 – Respiratory patient assessment

This course will introduce  all aspects of the patient encounter with patients who have cardiopulmonary diseases. The information ranges from the  skills needed to achieve  clear communication to the clinical and technical skills needed to perform all the tasks of cardiopulmonary  patient assessment. Various forms of cardiorespiratory monitoring and data gathering will be involved.

RSTH 251 – Medical gases, aerosol and humidity therapy

This course will provide a foundation for the development of knowledge and skills for respiratory  therapy, including patient history taking, medical terminology and symbols, medical-legal, infection control, vital signs, physical assessment, medical gas therapy, oxygen analyzers, and humidity/aerosol therapy. Indications and contraindications for medical gas and aerosol/humidity therapy will be emphasized.

RSTH 352 – Aerosol therapy

This course will provide a continuation of knowledge and skills for respiratory therapy including lung expansion therapy, bronchial hygiene therapy, artificial airways, manual resuscitation devices, airway suctioning, pulse oximetry, bedside spirometry, arterial blood sampling techniques, and arterial blood gas analysis and interpretation.

RSTH 361 – Advanced Cardiopulmonary resuciatation

This course  will offer  basic and advanced  skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillation, mechanical resuscitation, airway management, and oxygen delivery. It will  provide an understanding of the fundamental principles and practical skills applied to save and preserve  lives.

RSTH 351 – Pulmonary rehabilitation

This course will focus on the purpose and implementation of a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program. It explores procedures and approaches used in pulmonary home care. Also, it identifies and discusses major health and wellness programs applied to cardiopulmonary patients in subacute care settings.

RSTH 381 – Cardiopulmonary diagnosis and monitoring

This course  will  provide the foundation necessary to obtain and assess signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary diseases, and to use equipment for monitoring these patients. The focus will be to set up, maintain, troubleshoot, and calibrate cardiopulmonary function testing equipment, and to perform quality control procedures on diagnostic equipment and monitors.

RSTH 423 – Pumonary function testing

This course will describe the performance and physiologic basis of clinical respiratory measurements. The pulmonary function tests included are spirometry, lung volume and lung capacity determination, and lung diffusion capacity.

RSTH 492 – Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics

This course  will provide an understanding of non-invasive cardiopulmonary diagnostic procedures. These  diagnostic studies include cardiopulmonary exercise testing, non-invasive cardiac and respiratory diagnostics and monitoring, with an emphasis on data analysis and clinical application.

RSTH 453 – Clinical Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic and monitoring

This course  will enable the integration of theoretical and practical knowledge  skills and attitudes to  patients. Supervised clinical experiences in respiratory therapy settings will be scheduled. Respiratory therapy for common cardiovascular and respiratory conditions will be emphasized. Supervised application of patient care will be  performed in  hospital wards and outpatient departments.

RSTH 452 – Clinical cardiopulmonary treatment

This course  will enable the integration of theoretical and practical knowledge  skills and attitudes to  patients. Supervised clinical experiences in respiratory therapy settings will be scheduled. Respiratory therapy for common cardiovascular and respiratory conditions will be emphasized. Supervised application of patient care will be  performed in  hospital wards and outpatient departments.

RSTH 441 – Mechanical ventilation

This course will involve the study of mechanical ventilation with emphasis on ventilator classification, methods, principles, and operational characteristics. The course includes indications, complications, and physiological effects of mechanical ventilation. Emphasis will be placed on initiation, management, and weaning of mechanical ventilatory support.

RSTH392 – Cardiopulmonary pharmacology

This course will emphasize  respiratory care pharmacology.  The course includes general principles and administration of medications used to treat cardiorespiratory diseases, as well as interactions, pharmacologic actions and effects, contraindications, and side effects of various respiratory medications.  Drug dosage calculations will also be reviewed during this course.

RSTH 393 – Cardiopulmonary physiology

This course will provide background knowledge and concepts of respiratory system physiology and cardiopulmonary physiology. Mechanics of breathing will be emphasized, thereby setting the stage for understanding  various modes and adjuncts applied during mechanical ventilation.

RSTH461 – Airway management

This course will present the skills  for airway management. Skills include using  airway adjuncts, laryngeal mask airways, esophageal-tracheal combitube, endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes. Additional skills include ventilation with a barrier devices and  bag-mask devices. Students will also learn to use  an automated external defibrillator, and perform cardiac compressions. Relieving  foreign body airway obstruction will also be presented.

RSTH494 – Sleep medicine and polysomnography

This course will present the principles of polysomnography. Normal sleep physiology and aspects of obstructive, central, and mixed sleep apnea conditions will be described. In addition, anatomical aspects of the upper airway that contribute to obstructive sleep apnea will be presented. The treatment of obstructive sleep apnea will emphasized. Other content discussed include periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome.

RSTH 471 – Neonatal and pediatric respiratory care

This course will present respiratory therapeutic interventions pertinent to  neonatal and pediatric patients. Included in the course are  fetal lung development, fetal circulation,  congenital cardiopulmonary disorders, and specialized equipment and techniques for the administration of respiratory therapy to neonatal and pediatric patients.. Psychomotor skills will be presented in the laboratory setting.

RSTH 394 – Crdiopulmonary pathophysiology

This course will present  the etiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology of cardiopulmonary diseases and disorders. Emphasis is on clinical signs and symptoms along with diagnoses, complications, prognoses, and management.

RSTH495 – Disease Management in Respiratory care

This course will present  principles of respiratory therapy and equipment used  in the administration of respiratory therapy  procedures. This course also introduces the student to clinical respiratory therapy  areas such as assessment of cardiopulmonary disease and therapeutic intervention.

RSTH 462 – Adult critical care

This course will offer  a continuation of the Clinical Mechanical Ventilation course, providing an  in-depth study and care of  critically ill patients. Theoretical aspects of providing respiratory care in high-risk situations to include intensive care units will be examined.  Formulating respiratory care plans using evidence-based, or clinical practice, guidelines will be stressed. Current topics related to respiratory care and critical care medicine will be explored.

RSTH 472 – Pediatric critical care

This course will use a systems approach to review the essential aspects of respiratory therapy in the pediatric intensive care unit. This review includes lecture, case studies, discussions and practice questions. The information provided will benefit  critical respiratory therapy through the enhancement of knowledge concerning the continuum of care for the pediatric critical care patient.

RSTH 493 – Cardiopulmonary Anatomy

This course will use a systems approach to provide the  structures of the respiratory, cardiac, and renal systems. Within the respiratory system, emphasis will be placed on structural components such as muscles of ventilation pleural membranes, airway components, and pulmonary circulation. Cardiac anatomy will focus on valves, cardiac muscle, and arterial and venous components of coronary circulation. Renal anatomy will highlight structures comprising nephrons and vascular features.

STH395 – Respiratory Therapy microbiology and infection control

This course will focus on the microbiology and infection control issues that relate to the administration of respiratory therapy procedures and equipment. Emphasis will be placed on  skills and knowledge to prevent the transmission of organisms in health care settings. Various forms of equipment sterilization, decontamination, and disinfection will also be included.

RADP311 – Readiology for respiratory therapy

This course  will provide basic theoretical and practical information about techniques of radiology pertaining to respiratory therapy.   Radiographic features of the neck and thorax will be emphasized to enable identification of various abnormalities of the upper airways and the lungs. Interpretation of radiographic findings will be correlated with therapeutic interventions.

RSTH 491 – Research project for respiratory therapy

This course will introduce  the principles and procedures of scientific research. Included in this course will be opportunities to critically read and review published research articles. Each student will choose a clinical research project pertaining to respiratory therapy, and write a  proposal, abstract, and a research paper containing an introduction, literature review, methods, statistical analysis, discussion, and conclusion.