Acute Care Management
A patient's care setting that focuses on restoring functional independence after a serious illness or injury, with a minimum of 3 hours of therapy per day.
What is Acute Rehabilitation?
The medical term for a normal respiratory rate, which is typically between 12 and 20 breaths per minute.
What is Eupnea?
The oxygen delivery device that provides the lowest FiO2 and is commonly used for patients who require minimal supplemental oxygen.
What is a Nasal Cannula?
The breathing technique where a patient inhales slowly and deeply, holds the breath, and then exhales through pursed lips, often used to decrease respiratory rate and increase tidal volume.
What is Pursed-Lip Breathing?
The primary physiological consequence of a patient having a myocardial infarction, which a physical therapist should be mindful of during therapy sessions.
What is a weakened or damaged heart muscle?
The primary role of a physical therapist in discharge planning that involves providing recommendations for the patient's next level of care and safe discharge home.
What is to ensure a safe and appropriate transition?
The sound heard during auscultation that is described as a high-pitched, musical whistling sound, often associated with airway narrowing in conditions like asthma or COPD.
What is Wheezing?
The specific physiological condition characterized by an inadequate amount of oxygen in the blood, which can be measured by a low SpO2.
What is Hypoxemia?
A device that encourages a patient to take slow, deep breaths to promote lung expansion and prevent or reverse atelectasis.
What is an Incentive Spirometer?
A physical examination finding in a patient with heart failure that is characterized by swelling in the lower extremities, often rated on a scale from +1 to +4.
What is pitting edema?
A common acute care setting where patients receive skilled nursing and therapy services, but typically less than 3 hours of therapy per day.
What is a Sub-acute Rehabilitation facility or Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)?
This vital sign is a crucial indicator of a patient's overall oxygenation status, measured as the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with oxygen.
What is Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)?
This oxygen delivery device is the best choice for a patient with COPD who needs a precise and consistent FiO2 to avoid suppressing their hypoxic respiratory drive.
What is a Venturi Mask?
A controlled coughing technique that involves a forced expiration from a mid-to-low lung volume, which helps to mobilize secretions without causing airway collapse.
What is a Huff maneuver?
A patient's condition that causes a barrel chest, accessory muscle use for breathing, and chronic hypercapnia, often seen in patients with emphysema.
What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
This safety precaution involves a physical therapist checking a patient's chart for recent lab values, orders, or a "hold therapy" notice from the physician before initiating a treatment session.
What is a chart review or pre-session chart check?
A physical examination finding where a patient's chest wall expands asymmetrically, which may indicate a condition such as pneumothorax or atelectasis on the side with less expansion.
What is Asymmetrical Chest Wall Expansion?
A physical therapist's recommended initial action when a patient on supplemental oxygen desaturates during a therapy session.
What is to stop the activity, have the patient rest in an upright position, and increase the oxygen flow rate by 1-2 L/min (or according to protocol) before reassessing?
The airway clearance technique that combines breathing control, thoracic expansion exercises, and a forced expiratory technique to help a patient mobilize and clear secretions.
What is the Active Cycle of Breathing Technique (ACBT)?
The clinical term for a sudden, significant drop in blood pressure (more than 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic) upon standing, which is a common safety concern in patients with a history of heart failure or recent bed rest.
What is Orthostatic Hypotension?
This document is crucial for a physical therapist to review before a patient is transferred to a new setting, as it outlines the patient's medical history, current status, and specific recommendations for ongoing care.
What is a discharge summary or transfer order?
The most appropriate physical therapy intervention for a patient exhibiting paradoxical breathing, where the abdomen sinks inward during inspiration instead of expanding, often indicating diaphragmatic weakness.
What are Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises?
The main physiological consequence of high levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on a patient's cardiovascular system, which is a critical safety consideration for a physical therapist.
What is a decrease in cardiac output due to reduced venous return?
A technique that involves a series of breathing maneuvers performed in three phases (unsticking, collecting, and evacuating) to move secretions from the peripheral airways to the central airways without the need for a cough.
What is Drainage?
The most significant safety consideration for a physical therapist when working with a patient with a tension pneumothorax, who may present with tracheal deviation and sudden hypotension.
What is the risk of obstructive shock due to mediastinal shift and compression of the great vessels?