The challenge of acute care practice is looking beyond a specific medical condition and seeing the whole person. Working within a medical setting also requires an understanding of medical conditions and how illness affects occupational performance. What sets occupational therapy apart from other professions is an understanding of the totality of a patient's occupational profile and the importance of helping patients reclaim important roles and routines.

This book, written collaboratively by occupational therapists with acute care experience, was designed for therapists working in a hospital setting and others seeking to learn more about this important but often overlooked area of practice. Chapters and appendixes offer an understanding of the various bodily systems, common conditions, diseases, procedures, and typical medical management and how they relate to occupational therapy practice.

Chapters highlight the evaluation of the acute care patient, the Intensive Care Unit, the cardiac system, the vascular system, the pulmonary system, the nervous system, orthopedics and musculoskeletal disorders, the endocrine system, the gastrointestinal system, the genitourinary system, oncology, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders, dysphagia, transplantation, and burns. Appendixes include common diagnostic tests, medications, deconditioning, energy conservation, altered mental status, low vision, bariatrics, vertigo, safe patient handling, pain management, evidence-based practice, ethics, discharge planning, blood disorders, National Patient Safety Goals, and laboratory values.