Respiratory Therapist: Career Brief

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 15.7 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, 8.9 million with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 8.9 million with chronic bronchitis and 3.8 million with emphysema. It's no wonder employment of respiratory therapists is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Respiratory therapists treat these and other cardiopulmonary disorders. Learn more about what respiratory therapists do and find out what education one needs to work in this field. Read Respiratory Therapist: Career Brief.