Early Mobility Best Practices: Case Studies
Presented by Ellen Hillegass
12-Month Subscription
Unlimited access to:
- Thousands of CE Courses
- Patient Education
- Home Exercise Program
- And more
Nonfinancial: Ellen Hillegass is a volunteer with the Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary PT of the APTA. She has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
This course was developed to help the clinician working with complex patients, mostly those who are found in the ICU and who would do worse if left on bed rest. Bed rest and inactivity have their own set of problems that prevent functional improvement in a timely manner after a serious illness. In this course, case studies are presented to apply the principles of early mobility, including the chart review, initial examination, interventions, and outcome measures. This course is appropriate for all members of the mobility team, including PTs, PTAs, OTs, speech therapists, respiratory therapists, and nurses.
Meet your instructor
Ellen Hillegass
Dr. Ellen Hillegass is a physical therapist with APTA board certification in the cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialty. She is currently a professor on the core faculty at South College Knoxville and South College Atlanta and is an adjunct professor at Mercer University in Atlanta in the department of physical…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Overview of Initial Examination, Interventions, and Outcome Measures
This chapter will provide an overview of components of an initial examination, interventions for patients in the ICU, and outcome measures for early mobility patients. This overview will help the learner understand the structure of the case study discussion in this course.
2. The ICU Patient Admitted With Advanced Heart Failure
This chapter will cover a case study presentation with a discussion of abnormal lab values, medications, and diagnostic tests; a discussion of indications/contraindications/precautions to mobility; and a discussion of initial examination, interventions, and outcome measures.
3. The ICU Patient Admitted With COVID ARDS
This chapter will cover a case study presentation with a discussion of abnormal lab values, medications, and diagnostic tests; a discussion of indications/contraindications/precautions to mobility; and a discussion of initial examination, interventions, and outcome measures.
4. The ICU Patient Admitted With COPD and Heart Failure
This chapter will cover a case study presentation with a discussion of abnormal lab values, medications, and diagnostic tests; a discussion of indications/contraindications/precautions to mobility; and a discussion of initial examination, interventions, and outcome measures.
