does acute only mean ICU, or is the ER also referred to as acute? It seems acute, but then again huge percentages of the care is non-emergency and sub-acute so...
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
do you have a medical dictionary? look up the definition of the word acute to get your answer.
acute
- having rapid onset, severe symptoms, and a short course; not chronic
just below it is a listing for
acute care
- health care delivered to patients experiencing acute illness or trauma. acute care generally occurs in a hospital or emergency room and is generally short-term care rather than long-term, or chronic care.
all the above is from page 34 of taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary, 18th edition.
subacute
- between acute and chronic, but with some acute features, said of the course of a disease or of the healing process following tissue injury. (page 1852,
phosophorus
32 Posts
does acute only mean ICU, or is the ER also referred to as acute? It seems acute, but then again huge percentages of the care is non-emergency and sub-acute so...