AHPT 812: Clinical Medicine I
Prerequisite: Admission to the doctor of physical therapy program or permission of
the Department
Credit Hours: (3)
Clinical Medicine I is first in a series of courses designed to provide physical therapy
students with a general knowledge and understanding of human pathology. The course
introduces students to medical terminology, develops an understanding of disease processes,
the integumentary system and facilitates students in the application and analysis
of medical pathology in patient care. The course prepares students for their first
clinical internship.
Detailed Description of Course
Content will include but not be limited to: Introduction to 1) inflammation processes;
2) integumentary conditions and underlying pathology; 3) fundamental processes of
wound healing, wound stages, debridement, wound prevention, natural and acquired immunity
and immunodeficiency; 4) hypersensitivity and transplantation; 5) the cardiopulmonary
system; 6) endocrine system.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Will include but not be limited to:
Lecture, demonstration, student oral presentations, written papers and expert presentations
and demonstration.
Goals and Objectives of this Course
Student will be able to:
1) Translate or define medical terminology as applied to the study of disease;
2) Apply and use medical terminology in the study of disease pathogenesis and complications of elected disorders;
3) Analyze and apply the findings from specific laboratory tests to the study of disease, e.g. WBC, CBC, hematocrit, BUN, creatinine, ESR (sed-rate);
4) Identify integumentary conditions that are amenable to physical therapy intervention and describe underlying pathology;
5) Describe medical and surgical management of pathological conditions of the integumentary system commonly seen by physical therapists;
6) Discuss impairments that may result from conditions of the integumentary system and how it relates to physical therapy;
7) Identify contraindications/ indications of various therapeutic modalities in the management of wounds and ulcers;
8) Apply and analyze the stages of the inflammatory processes in relation to injury of various tissues; e.g. skin, epithelial lining, cardiovascular, nervous;
9) Correlate the classical signs of inflammation with patient symptoms;
10) Recognize the stages of wound healing and apply to patient evaluation;
11) Analyze the stages of wound healing and define healing tissue by its appearance;
12) Interpret wound risk factors, understand the treatment options for pressure ulcers, evaluate success of intervention, when adjustments are needed, when to make referral to other health care professionals, and state assessment factors for the selection of dressing, and pressure relieving devices, e.g. cushions and wheelchair fitting;
13) Know the cells and actions of the immune response in the study of disease;
14) Analyze the effect of the immune response in the study of disease (infection, bacterial and viral, hypersensitivity reactions, and autoimmune diseases, lupus RA;
15) Recognize the clinical magnification of specific hormone imbalances;
16) Know the hormones secreted, physiological symptoms of hypo/ hyper functioning (thyroid and adrenal), other major diseases especially diabetes, and fluid/ electrolyte regulation by ADH and aldosterone in the endocrine system;
17) Synthesize the relationship between pathological conditions covered in course and clinical practice (such as a stage II pressure ulcer, diabetic patients, or treatment of a patient with lupus and apply to patient interventions;
18) Perform a screening examination of the integumentary system; 19) Teach patients
and care-givers principles of skin care management for the prevention of wounds based
on current research.
Assessment Measures
Will include but not be limited to:
Written examinations, written assignments, and oral presentations.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
May 9, 2017
February 10, 2014