Medical Complications in Post-Acute Care: Introduction & Infection Management

1. Introduction and the Role of the Nurse

Post-acute care nurses need to recognize the types of medical complications that may occur in their setting with their specific patient populations. Medical complications that occur in post-acute care have the potential to lead to patient deterioration and readmission to acute care, or even death. Nurses have the responsibility of recognizing the potential for medical complications, preventing their occurrence, and protecting patients from harm. This chapter reviews the frequency of specific medical complications including infection, myocardial infarction and pulmonary complications from published research on the most frequent causes of readmission to acute care.

2. Infection

Infection is a common complication in the patient in the post-acute care setting. Early recognition of infection can be complicated by nursing schedules and workloads, patient acuity, and other stressors encountered during a typical daily shift. This chapter reviews prevention of infection, as well as early and late signs for which to monitor.