what does acute course mean

Acute: "Having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course" Chronic: "Continuing or occurring again and again for a long time" By understanding the concepts rather than the rules, you can have a better grasp of what your healthcare provider is telling you when describing your health condition.

Full Answer

What is the meaning of acute?

acute 1 (of plant structures such as leaves) sharply pointed. 2 (of a disease) coming quickly to a crisis. 3 (of a radiation dose) applied at a high level in a short space of time. Compare CHRONIC.

What is an acute or chronic disease?

With the CMMS, the term broadly describes a disease for healthcare utilization purposes. There is currently no one consistent definition of either acute or chronic that fits all purposes.

What is an acute case of injury?

To be considered an acute case, the patient will experience rapid onset, and the condition lasts for a short time. Note that even though a condition can be short acting, it can still finally result in the patient's death. The defining factor of an acute injury is the suddenness of it.

What is an acute care center?

Acute Care specializes in those who can withstand the rigors of daily, intensive therapy. Acute care gives patients a constantly moving goal that continues to improve their quality of life until they can transition to life outside of therapy, or possibly to sub-acute care, should it be needed.

What does course mean in medical terms?

[hed´ing] a word or term found at the beginning of all or part of a piece of printed material. Medical Subject h's (MeSH) see MeSH.

What does course of treatment mean?

A treatment plan made up of several cycles of treatment. For example, treatment given for one week followed by three weeks of rest (no treatment) is one treatment cycle. When a treatment cycle is repeated multiple times on a regular schedule, it makes up a course of treatment.

What does clinical course mean?

Clinical course means a course that the Law School faculty has designated as a “clinical course” in the registration materials, which includes clinics, judicial internships, and supervised fieldwork programs.

What is an chronic course?

The term chronic is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months. A chronic course is further distinguished from a recurrent course; recurrent diseases relapse repeatedly, with periods of remission in between.

How long is a course of chemo?

Courses of treatment A course of chemotherapy usually takes between 3 to 6 months, although it can be more or less than that. The treatment will include one or more chemotherapy drugs. You may have the chemotherapy into a vein (intravenous drugs), or as tablets or capsules.

How do you know if chemo is killing you?

Here are some signs that chemotherapy may not be working as well as expected: tumors aren't shrinking. new tumors keep forming. cancer is spreading to new areas....Along the way, the timeline may have to be adjusted due to:low blood counts.adverse effects to major organs.severe side effects.

What is the word for the course of a disease?

The etiology of a disease is its cause or origin. Etiology is also the name for the study of the causes of diseases.

What would you call a medical opinion on a likely course of a certain medical condition?

noun. prog·​no·​sis | \ präg-ˈnō-səs \ plural prognoses\ präg-​ˈnō-​ˌsēz \

What ampule means?

Definition of ampoule 1 : a hermetically sealed small bulbous glass vessel that is used to hold a solution for hypodermic injection. 2 : a vial resembling an ampoule.

Is chronic or acute worse?

Broadly speaking, acute conditions occur suddenly, have immediate or rapidly developing symptoms, and are limited in their duration (e.g., the flu). Chronic conditions, on the other hand, are long-lasting. They develop and potentially worsen over time (e.g., Crohn's disease).

What do you mean by acute diseases?

Acute diseases come on rapidly, and are accompanied by distinct symptoms that require urgent or short-term care, and get better once they are treated. For example, a broken bone that might result from a fall must be treated by a doctor and will heal in time.

What is an acute health condition?

Overview. Acute conditions are severe and sudden in onset. This could describe anything from a broken bone to an asthma attack. A chronic condition, by contrast is a long-developing syndrome, such as osteoporosis or asthma. Note that osteoporosis, a chronic condition, may cause a broken bone, an acute condition.

What does "acute" mean?

acute. [ ah-kūt´] 1. sharp. 2. having severe symptoms and a short course. Some serious illnesses that were formerly considered acute (such as myocardial infarction) are now recognized to be acute episodes of chronic conditions.

How long does it take for a lung injury to develop exudative?

The exudative stage comes first, two to four days after onset of lung injury, and is distinguished by the accumulation of excessive fluid in the alveoli with entrance of protein and inflammatory cells from the alveolar capillaries into the air spaces.

What does "exposure" mean in medical terms?

1. Referring to a health effect, usually of rapid onset, brief, not prolonged; sometimes loosely used to mean severe. 2. Referring to exposure, brief, intense, short-term; sometimes specifically referring to brief exposure of high intensity. [L. acutus, sharp] Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012.

What is the fourth phase of ARDS?

Some authorities refer to a fourth phase or stage of ARDS, the period after the resolution or recovery stage. Some patients continue to experience health problems caused by the acute illness, such as coughing, limited exercise tolerance, and fatigue.

course

1. a series (of lectures, medicines etc ). I'm taking a course (of lectures) in sociology; He's having a course of treatment for his leg.

course

n curso, transcurso, ciclo; — of antibiotics ciclo or curso de antibióticos; — of a disease curso or transcurso de una enfermedad; to take its — (enfermedad, etc.) seguir su curso; It may be best to let nature take its course..Puede ser mejor dejar las cosas seguir su curso natural.

What is chronic health?

With the HHS, chronic is used to describe a public health concern for surveillance purposes. With the CMMS, the term broadly describes a disease for healthcare utilization purposes. There is currently no one consistent definition of either acute or chronic that fits all purposes.

What are the phases of illness?

General Definitions. Phases of Illness. Flaws in Definitions. Clearing Up Confusion. Broadly speaking, acute conditions occur suddenly, have immediate or rapidly developing symptoms, and are limited in their duration (e.g., the flu). Chronic conditions, on the other hand, are long-lasting.

How long does it take for a chronic illness to resolve?

Acute. Symptoms develop quickly. Expected to be brief; typically resolves in less than six months. Chronic.

How long does it take for a disease to persist?

Persists beyond six months. Acute does not mean new, although many newly diagnosed diseases present with acute symptoms. Nor does it mean that symptoms are severe. It simply means that symptoms have developed quickly and that some sort of medical intervention is needed.

Is chronic illness fixed?

An acute or chronic diagnosis is not necessarily fixed. An acute condition can sometimes become chronic, while a chronic condition may suddenly present with acute symptoms. Certain infections, for example, will progress from an acute phase (in which symptoms appear and resolve after the initial exposure) to a chronic phase ...

Is chronic disease curable?

Similarly, chronic should not be construed to mean fatal or something that will inherently shorten your life. It simply indicates that the condition is not curable. Chronic conditions can often be managed (like diabetes or high blood pressure ).

Can you describe a disease as cute?

In the end, labeling an illness as a cute or chronic cannot describe the nature of a disease , nor predict outcomes. This non-specificity of definitions not only affects doctors and patients but also researchers who look for concise ways to evaluate the course of a disease.

What is acute illness?

Acute Illness. (1) Any illness that develops quickly, is intense or severe and lasts a relatively short period of time. (2) Any condition—e.g., infection, trauma, fracture—with a short (often less than 1 month) clinical course.

What is acute disease?

acute disease. Epidemiology Any condition—eg infection, trauma, pregnancy, fracture, with a short, often < 1 month clinical course; ADs usually respond to therapy; a return to a state of complete–pre-morbid health is the rule. Cf Chronic disease.

What does "acute" mean in medical terms?

1. sharp. 2. having severe symptoms and a short course. Some serious illnesses that were formerly considered acute (such as myocardial infarction) are now recognized to be acute episodes of chronic conditions. acute care the level of care in the health care system that consists of emergency treatment and critical care.

What are the symptoms of acute illness?

Some patients continue to experience health problems caused by the acute illness, such as coughing, limited exercise tolerance, and fatigue. Anxiety, depression, and flashback memories of the critical illness may also occur and be similar to posttraumatic stress disorder. Treatment and Patient Care.

What is cardiac care?

cardiac care in the nursing interventions classification, a nursing intervention defined as the limitation of complications resulting from an imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand for a patient with symptoms of impaired cardiac function.

What is short term medical treatment?

Short-term medical treatment, usually in a hospital, for patients having an acute illness or injury or recovering from surgery. The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

What is the term for a group of symptoms accompanying fulminant pulmonary edema and

acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) a group of symptoms accompanying fulminant pulmonary edema and resulting in acute respiratory failure; called also shock lung, wet lung, and many other names descriptive of etiology or clinical manifestations.

What is episodic care?

episodic care interventions aimed at patient cure or restoration to previous level of functioning. eye care in the nursing interventions classification, a nursing intervention defined as the prevention or minimization of threats to eye or visual integrity.

What is sub acute care?

Sub-acute care is intensive, but to a lesser degree than acute care. This type of care is for those who are critically ill or suffer from an injury that won’t withstand the longer, daily therapy sessions of acute care. Sub-acute care is for anyone who needs treatment that involves: Intensive wound care. IV treatment.

How long does acute care therapy last?

Acute Care specializes in those who can withstand the rigors of daily, intensive therapy. Therapy usually lasts three hours or more per day. Patients are given therapy at least 5 days a week. Patients receive daily face-to-face assessment and therapy plan update. Patients will receive a combination of physical, occupational, ...

How long does sub-acute care last?

It is a less intensive therapy that includes the following: Therapy sessions that last for two hours or less each day.

What is an acute illness?

Acute Illness. (1) Any illness that develops quickly, is intense or severe and lasts a relatively short period of time. (2) Any condition—e.g., infection, trauma, fracture—with a short (often less than 1 month) clinical course. Acute illnesses usually respond to therapy; a return to a state of complete—pre-morbid—health is the norm.

Do acute illnesses respond to therapy?

Acute illnesses usually respond to therapy; a return to a state of complete—pre-morbid—health is the norm. Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is the meaning of the term "acute"?

The term acute can be used to distinguish illnesses or injuries from a chronic variation of the condition. Acute can also be used in common speech to emphasize suddenness or severity, such as referring to an acute case of appendicitis.

What is acute illness?

Lesson Summary. An acute illness or injury is a medical problem with rapid onset. The term is used to distinguish cases from chronic conditions. Although it doesn't strictly indicate severity or lethality, acute can be used to emphasize that possibility when describing conditions in common conversation.

What is acute injury?

Injuries. The defining factor of an acute injury is the suddenness of it. Personal injuries from falls, car accidents, violent trauma, or household accidents are all examples of acute injuries. Sometimes an acute injury can occur because of a chronic condition.

What are the causes of acute illnesses?

Acute illnesses include bacterial and viral infections, as well as sudden and short acting physical symptoms. Acute injuries tend to be straightforward; trauma, accidents, and violence typically are the cause of these cases. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Create your account.

What is acute case?

To be considered an acute case, the patient will experience rapid onset, and the condition lasts for a short time. Note that even though a condition can be short acting, it can still finally result in the patient's death. The defining factor of an acute injury is the suddenness of it.

What is an illness?

An illness is a problem of a medical condition or disorder. An injury refers to physical or mental harm that happens to the patient from an exterior source. If you suddenly started experiencing physical symptoms or had an accident and thought to go to the emergency room, you have experienced a classic acute condition. Illnesses.

Is a broken toe a serious injury?

It's important to remember that acute does not necessarily mean the illness or injury is severe or more likely to be lethal. A broken toe is an acute injury but is unlikely to cause significant or life-threatening complications. An acute illness could rapidly start, but pose more of an annoyance than anything else. 3:49.

General Definitions

See more on verywellhealth.com

Phases of Illness

Where Definitions Fall Short

Clearing Up The Confusion