Acute care

Acute care is a subset of secondary health care wherein a patient undergoes short-duration, active treatment for a critical injury, sudden onset of illness, an emergent medical issue, or during the recuperative phase post-surgery. From a medical viewpoint, care tailored for acute health predicaments is contrasted with chronic care or prolonged longer term care.

Multidisciplinary teams of health care experts across various medical and surgical domains typically deliver acute care services. Venues for acute care provision encompass hospital emergency departments, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, or other short-term medical facilities. These services frequently complement diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, or continued outpatient care within the broader community. The primary objective of hospital-centric acute inpatient care emphasizes the prompt discharge of patients once their health attains a stable condition. Acute care settings span areas like emergency departments, intensive and coronary care units, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and various general wards. Here, patients at risk of acute deterioration necessitate stabilization and potential transfer to a higher dependency unit for intensified treatment.

Contemporary Issues in Acute Care

Australia

In 2008, the "Final Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals", colloquially known as The Garling Report, chronicled a series of prominent medical controversies within the New South Wales public hospital framework. This report proposed over a hundred recommendations, engendering significant debate and discussions.

United States

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal legislation, mandates the majority of hospitals to offer essential examination and requisite stabilizing treatment to patients presenting to an emergency room. This provision stands irrespective of the patient's insurance coverage status or their financial capacity to cover the costs associated with treatment.

See Also

• Acute Care of at-Risk Newborns
• Acute medicine
• Health care
  • Secondary care
  • Reason for encounter

References

Acute care Resources
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