The level of care that includes medical therapy and surgical treatment is called?

AIIMS Bhuvneshwar NO- 2018

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Bhuvneshwar NO- 2018

Explanation

The secondary level of care involves measures for early diagnosis and prompt treatment to halt disease progression.
This level includes curative services such as medical therapy (e.g., antibiotics for an infection) and surgical treatment (e.g., appendectomy).
It is initiated once a health problem has been identified, often through screening programs, which are also part of secondary prevention.
The goal is to cure or manage the disease, prevent complications, and shorten the period of disability.

Option A: Primordial prevention aims to prevent the emergence of risk factors in populations. It does not involve treatment of existing diseases.
Option C: Tertiary level of care focuses on rehabilitation and limiting disability from an established, often chronic, disease. It occurs after the acute phase of medical or surgical treatment.
Option D: Primary level of care aims to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place through health promotion and specific protection measures.

Visual 1: Flowchart: Illustrating the continuum of care from primordial prevention (preventing risk factors) through primary (preventing disease), secondary (treating disease), and tertiary (rehabilitation) levels. Each stage would show its goal and key examples.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Levels of Prevention in Community Health Nursing helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses play a crucial role at all levels of prevention. At the secondary level, nurses are responsible for administering medications, preparing patients for surgery, providing post-operative care, and educating patients about their treatment plans.
Understanding these levels helps nurses to identify patient needs accurately and provide appropriate care, whether it's health promotion, acute care, or long-term rehabilitation.
What if? If a patient with hypertension is non-compliant with medication and develops a stroke, the care shifts from secondary (managing hypertension) to tertiary (rehabilitation and preventing further complications from the stroke).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key phrases in the question: 'medical therapy' and 'surgical treatment'.
Recall the definitions of the different levels of prevention/care.
Primordial and Primary prevention happen before the disease starts.
Secondary prevention involves treating the disease at an early stage.
Tertiary prevention involves managing the consequences after the disease is established.
Since 'medical therapy' and 'surgical treatment' are actions taken to treat an existing disease, they fall under the category of secondary prevention.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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