Rehab Services Flashcards
What are benefits of involving PTs and OTs early in patient’s hospital course?
- Reduce length of stay
- Minimize inpatient complications
- Lead to more successful discharge at a higher level of independence
What is the function of providers such as speech-language pathologists, psychologists vocational counselors, and therapeutic recreation specialists?
Restoration of function after illness or injury
What is the level of training for physical therapy?
4 years of postgraduate training with focus in msk assessment and treating impairments in safety and mobility
what is physical therapy helpful for
- orthopedic
- neurosurgical patients
- breathing dysfunction
- cardiac rehab
- chronic vertigo
- Focus on breathing, posture, mobility, rnage of motion of joints, strenghten respiraotyr muscles, use physical modalities to assist with MSK derangements in thoracic or rib area
Benefits of PT
- prevent loss of function during long-term hospitalization
- Education for patient and care team
- Recommenda assistive devices for ambulation
- Prevent development of joint contractures
- Assess fall risk and make recommendations
- Help prevent and treat skin injury: ensure adequate movement to reduce risk of decubitus ulcers, protect surgical incisions and skin grafts, reduce discomfort from malpositioning or immobility
Training of OTs
4 years postgraduate training, with special focus on assessing, preserving, and restoring upper-extremity strength function and ROM
Role of OT
- Restore patients to basic self-care and ideally to independent living
- Identify post-discharge needs and perform home-safety evaluations
Role of speech therapy
- Diagnose swallowing disorders and make treatment recommendations
- Coordinate interdisciplinary approach with health care team
- Ability to swallow or eat affects nutritional status and waulity of life
- Perform bedside swallow evaluations to diagnose disorders of swallowing
Indications for swallow evaluation
- Past medical history of reported dysphagia
- Observed dysphagia
- Suspected aspiration
- Decreased oral feeding, dehydration, malnutrition
- Parenteral or enteral feeding
- Intubation, tracheostomy, or ventilator weaning
- Vocal cord paresis, paralysis, or laryngospasm
- Deconditioning
What is osteoarthritis?
- Joint complaints impair mobility through pain, restricted movement or contracture, and weakness from disuse
- Low back and knee pain most commonly encountered
How can PTs help with osteoarthritis?
- Gait mechanics
- Strengthen weak muscles around painful joints
- Provide assistive devices for joint protection and stability allowing faster mobilization of patient
How is rehab helpful after joint replacements?
- PTS and OTs assist in tasks from mobilization, education and self-care to home safety and medications
- Facilitate better outcomes, shorter hospital stays, fewer medical complications and more successful transitions to home or rehab
How is rehab helpful in osteoporosis
- Early mobilization
- strength
- gait training mitigate risk of worsening osteoporosis
How is rehab helpful for stroke?
- Best functional recovery for young patients when PT and OT involved early
- Early stages: prevent pressure ulcers and joint contractures
- Speech-language pathologist can assess aspiration risk and devise an appropriate diet or approach to feeding
- Loss of bladder control is common complication aggravated by problems with muscle control, speech, and cognition and improved mobility, attention, and communication through therapy can improve bladder management
How is rehab helpful for debitity
- Deconditioning related to bed rest or inactivity causes loss of strength of 1% in healthy young men or 10% per week and more in elderly
- WOrse in inpatient setting with medical illness, poor nutrition, orthopedic problems, and contractures
- Maintenance of muscle strength can be accomplished by muscle contractions of 30-50% of maximal tension for several seconds each day
- Early consult of PT for assistance shows improved results
