Subacute

Subacute is a term used in medicine to denote the duration or course of a disease. It is generally used to describe a disease that is not as acute or sudden as other diseases, but not as chronic or long-lasting either. Subacute diseases usually last from a few weeks to a few months.

Definition

In medical terminology, "subacute" refers to the course of a disease that is somewhere between acute and chronic. An acute disease is one that has a rapid onset and a short course, while a chronic disease is one that lasts for a long time, often for the rest of a person's life. A subacute disease, therefore, is one that is not as immediate as an acute disease, but not as prolonged as a chronic disease.

Examples

There are many examples of subacute diseases in medicine. Some of these include subacute thyroiditis, subacute endocarditis, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. These diseases all have a course that lasts from a few weeks to a few months.

Subacute Care

Subacute care is a level of care that is between acute care and long-term care. It is often used for patients who are recovering from a serious illness or injury, but who are not yet ready to return home. Subacute care can include a variety of services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

See Also

• Acute (medicine)
• Chronic (medicine)
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
• Subacute thyroiditis
• Subacute endocarditis

References

Subacute Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? WikiMD's DocFinder can help find general and specialist physicians.	Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials.