Timeline of respiratory therapy

Ancient period

• 1550 BC: (EG) The Ebers Papyrus describes ancient Egyptian inhalation treatments for asthma.

Eighteenth Century (1700s)

• 1771: (US) Carl Scheele (1742–1786) makes "fire air" (oxygen) by heating magnesium oxide. His findings are published in June 1774.
• 1774: (US) Joseph Priestly (1733–1804), credited with the discovery of oxygen, publishes his work on "dephlogisticated air" oxygen 3 months after a report by Carl Scheele.

Nineteenth Century (1800s)

• 1816: (US) Rene T.H. Laennec (1776–1856) invents the stethoscope for chest auscultation and lays the foundation for modern pulmonology with his book Diseases of the Chest.
• 1860: (US) Bunsen and Kirchhoff invent the spectrometer.^[1]
• 1860: (US) Stokes and Hoppe-Seyler demonstrait the oxygen transport function of hemoglobin.^[1]
• 1897: DE Gustav Killian performs the first bronchoscopy in Germany.
• 1899: (US) Dr. Thomas Willis defines specific Asthma symptoms for diagnosis.^[2]

Twentieth Century (1900s)

• 1908: In 1908 George Poe demonstrated his mechanical respirator by asphyxiating dogs and seemingly bringing them back to life.
• 1918: Oxygen masks are used to treat combat-induced pulmonary edema.^[3]
• 1928: Phillip Drinker develops the "iron lung" negative pressure ventilator.^[3]
• 1935: Carl Matthes invented the first noninvasive oximeter employing an ear probe.^[1]
• 1943: Dr. Edwin R. Levine, MD began training technicians in basic inhalation therapy for post-surgical patients.
• 1946: (US) Dr Levine and his technicians formed the Inhalation Therapy Association.
• 1954: (US) March 16, 1954 the ITA is renamed the American Association of Inhalation Therapists (AAIT).
• 1966: (US) February 1966, the ITA was again renamed the American Association for Inhalation Therapy (still, AAIT).
• 1956: (US) The AAIT begins publishing a science journal, Inhalation Therapy (now RESPIRATORY CARE).
• 1960: (US)In October 1960 The American Registry of Inhalation Therapists (ARIT) is formed to oversee examinations for formal credentialing for people in the field.
• 1961:(US) Sister Mary Yvonne Jenn becomes the first Registered Respiratory Therapist^[3]
• 1961: Metaproterenol, the beta-2 bronchodilator is introduced.^[3]
• 1964: (CA)The Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) is founded in 1964 as the Canadian Society of Inhalation Therapy Technicians.
• 1970: (US)In 1970 The Board of Schools of Inhalation Therapy Technicians became the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education (JRCRTE).
• 1971: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is introduced by Gregory.^[3]
• 1971: The journal Inhalation Therapy is renamed to Respiratory Care.
• 1974: The two credentialing programs merge into a single credentialing organization called the National Board for Respiratory Therapy (NBRT) in 1974.
• 1980: President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week. (July 22)
• 1982: California passes the first modern licensure lawgoverning the profession of respiratory care.
• 1982: In 1982 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Respiratory Care Week.
• 1986: In 1986 the NBRT is renamed the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).^[4]
• 1998: The JRCRTE evolves into the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

Twenty-First Century (2000s)

• 2000: Respiratory Care journal is accepted into Index Medicus and its online counterpart, the MEDLINE service.
• 2004: Vermont becomes the 48th state to pass a Respiratory Care Act, effectively bringing legal credentialing to all 48 contiguous states in the United States.
• 2010: On December 14, 2010 the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has granted accreditation to the Sleep Disorders Specialty Examination. The CRT-SDS and RRT-SDS.^[5]
• 2011: In July, 2011 the NBRC creates the Adult Critical Care Specialty for Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT-ACCS).
• 2001: In 2011 the State of Hawaii became the 49th state in the United States to create a Board of Respiratory Care and enacting a Respiratory Care Act.^[6]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Severinghaus JW, Astrup PB (1986). "History of blood gas analysis. VI. Oximetry.". J Clin Monit 2 (4): 270–88. PMID 3537215. 
2. ^ March 25, 1899 edition of The Lancet, "Bronchitis, Pulmonary Emphysema, and Asthma"
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Ward JJ, Helmholtz HF: Roots of the respiratory care profession. In Burton GG, Hodgkin JE, Ward JJ, editors: Respiratory care: a guide to clinical practice, ed 4, Philadelphia, 1997, Lippincott.
4. ^ http://www.aarc.com American Association of Respiratory Care
5. ^ Sleep Disorders Specialty Examination Receives NCCA Accreditation Press Release, http://nbrc.org
6. ^ "Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 466D-RespiratoryTherapists" http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/hrs/HRS466D.pdf; July 2011