1. Acute Care
Laycee Christensen
PTA 100
1

2. Objectives
• What is Acute care?
• Type of Patients
• Long Term Acute Care
• Percentage of PTAs work in Acute Care
• Salary
• Skills
2

3. What is an Acute Care
Hospital?
• Patients who are in short-term care who have
acute illness, injury or recovering from
surgery.
• In patients and out patients
• Intensive or Emergency care
• Specializes on smaller variety of illnesses
3

4. Acute Care cont.
• Also known as a emergency room
• Goal of Acute care
– Stabilize the patient so can be discharged
– Or stabilize to be sent to another facility
• Length of Stay- 10 days
4

5. History/Facts
• Pennsylvania hospital 1751
• Paris, France 1607
• London 1123
Pennsylvania Hospital
St. Barthomew’s Hospital
in London
First Hospital in France 5

6. Types of Patients
• Traumas and injuries
• Illness
• Surgery
• Wound Care
• Stroke
• Fractures
6

7. Treatments
• Theraputic Exercise
• Functional Training
• Gait Training
• Assistive Device
• Breathing Exercises
• Wound Management
• Aquatic Therapy
• Specialized Devices
7

8. Long Term Acute Care
• Specializes on patients with serious medical
conditions
• Usually stay longer than 20 days
• Types patients seen
-Cardiovascular Disease
-Congestive heart failure
-Kidney Failure
-Wound Care
8

9. Percentage of PTAs that work in Acute
Care
12.1% of PTAs work in Acute
Care
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Sec
tion=Demographics&CONTENTID=41556&TE
MPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
9

10. Salary
• Average salary $30,000-35,000
www.apta.org
10

11. Skills
• Associate Degree
• Training varies by state
• May take additional
classes
11

12. Scenerio
• Jill broke her ankle in gymnastics. She may
need acute care physical therapy before she
can be discharged from the hospital. In
therapy, Jill will learn how to use crutches,
protect the ankle, and prevent the ankle from
swelling, pain, and weakness.
12

13. Scenario #2
• George was diagnosed with pneumonia and
will need acute care physical therapy. Therapy
will help him to live at home and move
through out the home safely. He also may
need to use a cane or home oxygen. George
can continue to have physical therapy at
home.
13

14. Questions?
14

15. References
• Ehow
http://www.ehow.com/about_5195079_definition-hospital-acute-
care.html
http://www.dibbern.com/long-term-care/long-term-care-assistance-
hospital-01.htm
• Long Term Acute Care
http://www.phillyrehab.com/longterm/ltac.html#3
• APTA
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Demographics&TEMPL
ATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=26273
http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Demographics&TEMPL
ATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=41556
15