Intro to Management of Patients in the Acute Care Setting Flashcards
how is acute care defined?
pts are not stable enough to receive care at an outpatient clinic
what is acute care?
a level health care in which a pt is treated for a brief but severe episode of illness
what is typically the entry point of care for acute care?
the ED or by another physician for a planned procedure or treatment
what is hemodynamic stability?
a medical term that describes a person’s stable blood flow, BP, and HR
t/f: anything that leads to inadequate blood flow to vital organs leads to hemodynamic instability
true
what causes homeostatic imbalance?
imbalance of ions, water, or electrolytes
what are the most common diagnoses for inpatient stay?
livebirth, septicemia, HF, pneumonia, OA, DM complications, acute MI, dysrythmias, COPD excerbation
what is septicemia?
a bacterial infection of the blood
very serious life threatening response to infection
pts get very sick very quickly
total organ failure
what is observational status?
well defined set of specific clinically appropriate services, which include ongoing short-term Rx, assessment, and reassessment b4 a decision can be made regarding whether pts will require further Rx as hospital pts or if they’re able to be discharged from the hospital
how long is observation status typically?
<24 hours
how long can some rare and exceptional cases be in observation status?
> 48 hours
what is the purpose of observation status?
to monitor a pt to determine if they need to be admitted
what is the Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program?
CMS began reducing Medicare payments to inpatient hospitals deemed to have excessive pt readmissions w/in 30 days of d/c
if pts are classified as outpatients under observation status, their return to the hospital within 30 days isn’t considered readmission
t/f: Medicare is incentivized to to overturn hospital decisions to admit individuals as inpatients, which is more costly to the healthcare system than outpatient admission
true
Medicare considers observation what kind of service and is covered under what part of Medicare
outpatient covered under Medicare part B
t/f: Medicare part B services have both deductibles and cost-sharing for beneficiaries which means that the cost to the patient of an observation stay is more variable than a traditional inpatient
true
does time spent in observation status count towards the 3 day inpatient stay requirement for Medicare SNF coverage
nope
will Medicare pay for medically necessary post-acute care in a SNF without a 3 day inpatient stay?
nope
what is unique about the acute care setting?
there is medical team trained and experienced in identifying and treating instabilities at REST
the therapist needs to be skilled in identifying physiological responses both AT REST and WITH MOVT
t/f: stability can quickly change with movt
true
what is involved in sound clinical decision making?
be observant
integrate info
predict the pt’s expected level of improvement to determine goals, d/c needs, and rehab prognosis
be aware of your limitations and ask for help when needed
create a comprehensive PT care plan that’s individualized and focused on the pt and caregiver’s goals and circumstances
choose optimal dose-specific interventions
t/f: we should do as much the pt can do and push to fatigue as long as they’re stable
true
we should adjust intervention choices and dosage based on what?
the pt’s response and d/c needs
what are some important skills for entry level PTs in acute care?
you need to know what you know and don’t know
you need to look at the big picture but be able to break down problems into component parts to manage pt’s care