Therapeutic Electrophysical Agents in Health Care PDF

Therapeutic Electrophysical Agents in Health Care Prof. Dr. Abeer Yamany Students learning objectives ´Define therapeutic electrophysical agents. ´List and describe the different forms of energy used with therapeutic modalities. ´Mention delivery of Electro physical Agents ...

Therapeutic Electrophysical Agents in Health Care Prof. Dr. Abeer Yamany Students learning objectives ´Define therapeutic electrophysical agents. ´List and describe the different forms of energy used with therapeutic modalities. ´Mention delivery of Electro physical Agents  Introduction: ´The term physical agents reflects the use of physical energies—such as thermal, mechanical, electromagnetic, or light for specific purpose. ´Therapeutic electrophysical agent or therapeutic modality is a device or application that delivers a physical agent to the body for therapeutic purposes. Introduction: ´ The International Society for Electrophysical Agents in Physical Therapy (ISEAPT) defines the term electrophysical agent (EPA) as the use of electrophysical and biophysical energies for the purposes of evaluation, treatment and prevention of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions  Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´ Classification of EPAs are based on the type or form of energy delivered to soft tissues. Thermal, electromagnetic, electrical, and mechanical energies are delivered through various applicators on most body areas for the purpose of soft-tissue treatment Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´Thermal Agent Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´Electromagnetic agent Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´Mechanical Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´Electrical Types of Electrophysical Agents: ´The mechanism of action of each therapeutic modality depends on which form of energy is utilized during its application. Different forms of energy are generated and transferred by different mechanisms.  Transfer of Energy ´ Energy moves from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration by energy carriers, such as mechanical waves, electrons, photons, and molecules. ´ This energy flow in the form of heat involves the exchange of kinetic energy, or energy possessed by an object by virtue of its motion, and is transferred via conduction, convection, conversion, radiation, or evaporation Conduction: ´ Conduction is the transfer of heat energy by direct contact. Heat is conducted from the material at the higher temperature to the material at the lower temperature. ´ Heat transfer continues until the temperature of both materials become equal. ´ Physical agents: Hot packs  Convection: ´ Convection is heat transfer by mass motion of a fluid such as air or water when the heated fluid is caused to move away from the source of heat, carrying energy with it. ´ Heat transfer occurs as a result of direct contact between a circulating medium and another material of different temperature. ´ Physical agents: Whirl pool.  Conversion ´ is the process of changing energy from one form to another. Heat transfers through the conversion of a non-thermal form of energy (mechanical, electrical or chemical) into heat. ´ Heat transfer does not require direct contact between the thermal agent and the body. ´ Physical agents: Ultrasound therapy and diathermy. Radiation ´ Objects emit radiation when high energy electrons in a higher atomic level fall down to lower energy levels. The energy lost is emitted as light or electromagnetic radiation. ´ Physical agents: Infrared lamps, microwave diathermy. Evaporation: ´The change of liquid to a gas or vapor as it absorbs heat. ´As the liquid absorbs heat, the skin cools. ´Physical agents: Vapors-coolant spray. Contraindications: ´Contraindications are conditions or factors in which application of a modality to the patient over a specific location or region of the body could be harmful and thus the modality should not be used at this location/region.  Precaution ´Precaution present a somewhat different aspect to clinical decision-making ´. Although not outright contraindications, precautions reflect situations in which a patient is at some risk of experiencing an adverse event. ´ In this case, treatment may proceed with caution and proactive measures should be taken to mitigate the risk of potential harm. This may include adjustment of treatment parameters such as intensity or frequency of treatment and closer monitoring of patient response to the treatment. ´ Documentation ´ The treatment parameters, changes in patient response to treatment during and between sessions, and any modifications of the goals or treatment program should be accurately documented. Therapeutic Efficiency: ´ Doing the thing right. ´ Clinical efficiency is the degree to which things are done by the book, or according to recognized standers. ´ It is the production of desired effects or results with minimum waste of time, effort, or skill. Therapeutic Effectiveness: ´ Doing the right thing for the patient. ´ Clinical effectiveness is the degree to which therapeutic objectives are achieved and extent to which problems are solved. ´ It’s the quality of being successful in producing intended results by using evidence base practical (EBP). ´ The aim of EBP is to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making.  Cost-benefit and risk-benefit ratios ´ Cost-benefit and risk-benefit ratios are two of the most relevant issues in ongoing health organization procedures. ´ To determine cost-benefit ratios, practitioners must analyze the cost-effectiveness of different EPAs to see whether their benefits outweigh their costs—that is, to assess the overall value for the money. ´ To determine risk-benefit ratios, practitioners must now determine whether the use of EPAs, particularly those presenting higher risks and precautions, are worth the risk to patients as compared with possible benefits if the EPA is successful—to put it simply, to determine if the treatment is worse than the disease. Using the right outcome measures: ´ we use as appropriate measures to assess the effectiveness of therapeutic modalities. ´ If we use inappropriate measurements or match techniques with the wrong diagnoses or stages of healing, we are more likely to conclude that the modality is ineffective. ´ If we do use appropriate measures, we are more able to expand our understanding of when and for whom the modality is most appropriate. ´ Delivery of Electrophysical Agents ´ In the field of health care delivery, the focus has shifted as a whole from doing the thing right to doing the right thing. The physiotherapists are become more and more preoccupied with the issue of therapeutic effectiveness while continuing to be concerned about the issue of therapeutic efficiency. ´ If you cannot explain the physiological and clinical reasoning for using the therapeutic modality you select, then perhaps you should not be using the technique!